What Is Eternal
by Southern Charm83
Summary: This Is Who You Are sequel. Draco is in Order and he and Ginny try keeping their relationship secret. As Ginny returns to Hogwarts for her seventh year, Draco grudgingly goes with Harry and Ron on a horcrux hunt. New enemies await them all.
1. Reunited

Well for those of you who have been awaiting this story, I'm so sorry it took so long to get out. I have eleven classes a day and my life is crazy. By the time I finish work each day, I'm so tired that I can hardly think straight, let alone write a story.

_**READ FIRST!**_ This story is a sequel to _This Is Who You Are._ Do not read this story if you have not read the first one. At times you may think that you can get by without having read the first story, but trust me…so many things will not make sense to you if you don't read it. So just go read _This Is Who You Are._ I'm told it's a good story, so hopefully you'll like it. If you are a Draco/Ginny fan, you should.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter.

**Chapter 1: Reunited**

In the bustling town of Ottery St. Catchpole, which was far inland in Devon, a young woman leaned out of her window and stared dully at her backyard, sighing when she saw the garden gnomes. Her mother would be asking her to toss them over the hedge soon; it had been nearly three weeks since she'd had to do it last, but once again the gnomes were stealthily approaching the house, their leathery backs hunched in concentration.

Sighing again with boredom, Ginny Weasley turned her back to the open window and stared at her bedroom. Everything was in place, exactly how she liked it. The bed was made, her dresser was devoid of any odds or ends, and the carpet covering the cracked wooden floor was clean and in place.

The only problem with the picture was that Ginny wasn't satisfied. Since she had arrived back home with her brother a month and a half ago, her emotions had been on an out-of-control spree for some sense of her old life. First, Ginny had been glum because she had no idea where Draco was. Then she had spent a few days with Ron and was reminded of the days when they would run around outside playing all sorts of games; she missed those days, so free from the harshness of the world.

And then Ron had gotten a letter from Harry inviting him to go stay at Grimmauld Place. Ginny couldn't really blame Harry for not inviting her as well, but to be left home alone with just her parents all summer for the first time in her life was almost too much to bear. At first Molly and Arthur Weasley hadn't wanted Ron to go to Grimmauld, mainly because they wanted to prevent him from joining the Order of the Phoenix, whose headquarters was at Grimmauld Place. However, after much persuading on Ron's side, he was finally allowed to go.

Ginny had watched him Apparate away with a heavy heart. Now who would keep her company? Her parents were almost constantly at Grimmauld Place, the former house of Sirius Black; upon his death two and a half years ago, it had passed down to Harry, Sirius's godson. Molly and Arthur absolutely refused to let Ginny go with them to Order meetings. No matter how hard Ginny begged to be allowed to go, if only to see her brothers, they adamantly refused.

And so here Ginny sat, alone in her bedroom, wishing she had somebody to keep her company; her parents were once again out of the house. When Ginny had pointed out a few weeks ago that if she was left home alone, Death Eaters could easily break in and abduct her (which seemed to be the Weasley's main fear at this point and which Ginny could never comprehend the reasoning behind), she had been ordered by Molly Weasley to go to her room. Though Bill had stopped by The Burrow once to say hello to her, Ginny was still not in the best of spirits.

The main reason she was so down and out of it was because she had no idea were Draco Malfoy was. A year ago if she had known she'd be worried about him and how he was doing, she would have thought she'd been placed under a confundus charm. But Ginny _was _worried about him. Ever since she'd seen him that last night in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts, she had wondered where he was, what he was doing, and if he was thinking about her. She hoped that she'd somehow see him before she had to go back to Hogwarts in a month and half for her final year.

Almost inevitably, at the thought of Draco, Ginny's eyes traveled down to her wrist where a silver, starry bracelet hung. She smiled, thinking back to when she had first seen it, and then to when Draco had given it to her. Surprisingly, her parents hadn't asked about the bracelet, hadn't even noticed it, actually. Ginny had been prepared to tell her parents that she had found it lying around at Hogwarts, which, to be truthful, she _had,_ but she never had to tell them. So many times they would come home from Grimmauld Place and be so worried or tired that they simply went to bed. Ginny figured something important must be going on, and to not know anything about it was infuriating. She had only gotten one letter from Ron, but that didn't say much.

Mainly because she was bored and felt the need to do something, Ginny pulled out Ron's letter from her dresser and read through it again.

_Hey Gin,_

_Trust me, you're not missing anything. (Mum told me how frustrated you've been lately.) Life here at Number 12 is just the same as it always was. In fact, it's a little like Hogwarts now for more reasons than one…_

_Hermione came here a few days after I did and we've all been formerly initiated into the Order…pretty exciting, right? I'm not really supposed to say anything about it though, sorry. Just know that being there is probably more interesting than being here. At least at home there aren't the annoying pests there are here. But again, I'm not supposed to say. I think that boyfriend of Hermione's might be coming here too, you know. Hermione's been saying he wants to join the Order, so who knows what's going to happen there._

_Well, I'll see you later, little sister, probably before you go back to Hogwarts. Mum and Dad wouldn't send you off without all of us getting to say bye._

_Ron_

Ginny rolled her eyes and tossed the letter onto her dresser. Typical Ronald…never revealing too much, yet trying to cheer her up. Ginny loved her brother, but sometimes she wished his letters, the few she was written, told her more.

One other letter had Ginny received that summer, and it was much more interesting that Ron's. Ginny pulled that one out as well.

_Dear Ginny,_

_Oleaney and myself hope that this letter finds you well, and that your summer has proved as uplifting and exciting as ours has. _

_America is good this time of year, though California is dreadfully hot right now…a record high, I believe. But you don't want to hear about the weather, do you? Well, Oleaney and I visited our old house, the one we lived in as children. I thought that my parents had sold it when we moved to England, but it turns out that they kept it. It's in rough shape. After all, nobody has been in it for so many years. But my brother and I have been renovating it, but whether we will stay or sell it remains to be decided._

_As for now, the two of us plan to get reacquainted, catch up on things. So we will be staying here in America for at least the rest of the summer, and by then, we'll know more about what we'll do with our lives. _

_Well, be sure to write back soon. I would also like to be kept informed on yours and Draco's relationship. Now before you write back and ask me how I knew, remember…I know things. I probably knew of your relationship before the two of you even did. So. I want to know how that turns out. Another thing I'd like to be informed on is Narcissa. Though she is a wonderful lady, she doesn't seem the type to keep up a relationship by owl. So keep me updated on what happens with her, and don't give up trying to get to know her. She doesn't seem at all like what I've heard her husband is like. That Lucius Malfoy sounds like my parents were, and Narcissa is nothing like my parents, so don't give up. She's not lost. There is still hope that the two of you can get along._

_Have a wonderful summer._

_Your friend,_

_Reina Juriac_

"Ginny!" came Molly Weasley's voice from downstairs, and Ginny looked towards the door. "We're back!"

Quickly Ginny folded up Reina's letter and put it with Ron's before walking out of her room and weaving her way down the rickety staircase until she stood in the kitchen. Her father was sitting at the table and her mother was preparing some tea.

"Hello, Ginny," Molly said, setting the pot on the stove.

"Hello," Ginny replied, sitting down across from her father. Her mother sat down to her right. "Have fun?" She couldn't help but slip in a bit of sarcasm.

Arthur snorted and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No," he said. He sighed, closing his eyes.

"Something wrong?" Ginny asked.

"No, dear," Mrs. Weasley reassured her. "It's just that we are going to have to spend quite a bit more time at Grimmauld Place now; Albus has been going to the Order with more news several times a day, and when he can't be there, someone else is."

"So what's the problem?" Ginny looked to her father. "Why's dad all upset about it?"

"I'm not upset," Arthur admonished, frowning at Ginny. "I'm just tired." He closed his eyes again and leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

Ginny looked to her mother. "Mum?"

"It's a lot on his plate right now, working for the Order and the Ministry. It's taking a lot out of your father," Molly said, giving her husband a fond look.

"That's why we're going to stay at Grimmauld Place," her dad said. Ginny bit her tongue to hide a grin. "Not having to go back and forth so much will at least make it one bit easier. Harry said it's perfectly fine with him, and a few other Order members have been staying there as well."

"When do we leave?" Ginny asked, trying not to sound too excited. She'd finally get out of the house and back to headquarters! Life would surely be more interesting there.

"First thing tomorrow morning," Mrs. Weasley said. She got up to fix their tea. "So get to packing. We'll stay there at least till you go back to school, but don't worry about taking everything. We'll come back here to get your school things before then."

"Okay." Ginny nodded her head slowly. Inside she was jumping up and down with excitement. Even though she would probably be pushed out of anything to do with Order meetings, at least her family and friends would be there. The only thing that would make it better would be if she could see Draco, but that was obviously not going to happen.

As she declined her mother's offer of a cup of tea, Ginny slipped out of her seat and headed back upstairs. She closed the door to her room and leaned against it momentarily, closing her eyes as she relished the thought of some excitement; her summer had never been this boring before.

A wind picked up and blew through Ginny's open window, causing her eyes to open. The lazy summer sun was lowering in the sky; soon it would be evening. Ginny had always loved night-time. It was her favorite part of the day. When she had told this to Ron once, years ago, he had scoffed and said that "night-time being part of the day" made absolutely no sense, but Ginny still clung to that love. There was something healing in walking outside, the stars glinting tranquilly above her. The very smell of the air on a cool summer night was something Ginny would always treasure.

Then Ginny realized that this would be her last summer-before-school night at the Burrow. Though the thought made her sad, she couldn't help but be excited for what was to come.

Smiling, Ginny moved away from the door and started picking out clothes to pack.

* * *

In the morning, Ginny was the first one ready to go. She had woken up halfway through the night with the feeling that it was already mid-morning and that she was late, and it was halfway through the process of getting undressed for a hurried shower that she realized the sun wasn't even up. After that, she hadn't been able to go back to sleep.

So instead of lying in bed waiting for morning to come, she had slipped on some shoes and a robe and quietly snuck out of the house, being sure to step over all of the creaky stairs so her parents wouldn't wake up. Once outside, she had breathed in the fresh night air and closed her eyes as the breeze toyed with her hair. For quite some time, she had roamed peacefully throughout the yard and back into the field behind their house. The moon was bright enough that she didn't need her wand to see; she hadn't even brought it with her. Ginny had sat at the top of the hill, looking down at the house that she was so fond of, crooked stairways and all. She had grown up in that house; there were many memories that she'd hold close to her forever. Though the prospect of leaving made her wonder about her future, she would make sure to come back to this house often, so that its memory, and legacy, would never be erased in her mind.

Eventually she had walked back down the hill, through the field, and into the house, but only when she had seen the sky start transforming from black to a midnight blue. Once in her room, she had made sure that everything needed was in its place – suitcase packed, clothes laid out on the dresser, shoes by the door, wand on her bedside table. When she deemed it reasonable for her to be up and about, she got dressed and walked down to the kitchen. She cooked breakfast for her and her parents, anxious to go as soon as possible.

However, as Ginny stood by the door anxiously, suitcase by her feet, she figured her parents were in no hurry at all. They had finished breakfast nearly an hour ago, but still they were upstairs getting ready to go. The sun was already heading towards the top of the sky; if they didn't hurry, the morning would be gone.

To Ginny's relief, she finally heard her parents coming down the stairs.

"Really, Molly, is it necessary to bring all of this?" Arthur asked his wife, and they came into view, the latter holding onto two suitcases, and the former with another two.

"Yes, Arthur," Molly Weasley said. "Good morning again, dear," she greeted Ginny's frown of impatience before turning back to her husband with a knowing look. "We may not have much, but what we do have is very precious to us. If there is an attack on the house –"

"Oh, psh," Arthur said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "It's too early in the morning for talk like that."

Ginny was thinking to herself that it wasn't early at all, but thought it would be best not to mention it. Soon enough, the three of them were standing in the front lawn –all suitcases accounted for– and were ready to Apparate. Ginny, not having learned Apparition yet, clung tightly to her mother's arm. She squinted her eyes as a compressing feeling came over her; she felt like hands were pushing on every part of her, squeezing her through a tube half her size.

She hated Apparating.

* * *

Anxiously Draco's eyes narrowed as he gazed at himself in the mirror in his room at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Turning to the left, he shifted his head so that he got a side view of himself. Then he turned to the right, again inspecting his appearance. There were two things on Draco's mind right now – one he did understand and one he didn't.

What he did understand was that at any minute, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, and most important of all, Ginny Weasley would be arriving.

What Draco did not understand was why he was so nervous. Of course, he hadn't seen Ginny in nearly two months, so he had reason to be nervous, or at least excited; she was his girlfriend, after all. But what if things had changed? What if she decided that she didn't want to be with him anymore? What if she thought it would be too hard for a Malfoy and a Weasley to be together? What if she didn't even like him anymore?

Deep down, Draco knew those fears were just that – fears. Nothing to be concerned about. Nothing to sweat over. Ginny herself had told him back in the Hospital Wing a month and a half ago that he didn't have to worry about her running off with some random bloke.

Nevertheless, Draco wanted to look his best when Ginny arrived; and so he had donned a pair of casual black pants, a white shirt, and a pale blue and white over-shirt left unbuttoned. Draco nodded approvingly, grabbing a comb from the dresser and running it through his hair once, causing some of it to fall into his eyes; he shook it aside. Next, since he didn't have a robe on, Draco slid his wand into the strap on his pants so that he wouldn't have to carry it.

Draco appraised himself once more. Yes, everything seemed to be in check. He smirked slightly; Ginny had no idea that he was here. _Blimey, is she ever in for the shock of her life,_ he thought, straightening his shirt. _A stunning and dashing shock, if I do say so my– _

"Ron!" he heard an irate Hermione shout from somewhere downstairs. "I told you to put those fake wands away! You know how your mum feels about them, and they'll be here any – yeah, see? I can hear them knocking! Put it away!"

Draco hardly had time to revel in the fact that Weasleby got shot down once again. Mentally he thought _Granger – 11, Weasley – 2_ and then walked to his door, cracking it open so he could hear better. Though his heart started doing its own little tap dance when he realized that his Ginny was just downstairs and that in moments he would be looking at her face again, he forced himself to wait a few moments. He would give her time to see her brother and friends before he made his presence known.

When he could hear her saying hello to her brother, Hermione, and Harry, he stepped into the hallway. The stairs that went down were just a few steps away; down another hallway was another flight of stairs that went up, where Hermione was staying, and Draco assumed that Ginny would be rooming up there as well. His own mother, Narcissa, had a room up there. _Must be the "women's" floor,_ Draco thought. Harry and Ron, much to Draco's annoyance, both had rooms on the same floor as Draco. He wasn't sure whose idea it was to separate the males and females of the house, but he didn't think it had anything to do with Harry, whom the house belonged to. Rather, it probably had more to do with Albus Dumbledore or Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Even though he knew he was completely out of sight from those downstairs, Draco moved with caution around the stairs. His heart started beating and his stomach fluttered uncomfortably with anticipation. _Now, go now,_ an inner voice urged him. Taking a deep breath, Draco slowly walked down the stairs. Their voices had drifted off; they were probably in the kitchen now. And when Draco made his way to that room, he found them there indeed.

Immediately his eyes landed on Ginny. He stopped in the doorway, preferring to remain out of sight a moment longer while he studied her. His stomach tightened when he saw her. She looked exactly like he remembered…red hair swirling down her back, nose slightly freckled, brown eyes shimmering with content, mouth upturned in a smile. Draco felt the corners of his mouth twitching, and it was all he could do to stop himself from grinning. She looked exactly as he remembered, and there was only one word he could think of to describe her – beautiful.

To his relief, nobody had yet spotted him leaning in the kitchen doorway. It gave him time to compose himself, and as he stepped forward, he tried to plaster a vicious smirk on his face, which he willingly and easily wore around Ginny's brother. However, as he looked at Ginny, his smirk turned into a smile.

"Well, well," Draco began, pulling in the corners of his mouth to give his smile a more sinister feel. "What have we now? Another addition to the family? Ah gosh, and I was just starting to get used to seven Weasley's running around. Now I have to keep track of another? Ah gosh…" he repeated mockingly. Inwardly his heart leapt when he saw Ginny's eyes widen disbelievingly; her mouth even fell open as she stared at him in shock, but it swiftly turned into a smile.

He seemed to be the only one noticing her smile though, for Ron scowled at him, Hermione scoffed, Harry along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley frowned, and he saw his cousin Tonks shake her head.

"Wotcher, Draco!" Tonks exclaimed, grinning. "Be nice this time, will you?"

"Well, I do try," Draco replied, shrugging. He glanced again at Ginny. Seeing her try to smother her clearly delighted smile was only making him smile in turn, and so he cleared his throat and looked around the room.

"What," he began, "nobody except my cousin is excited to see me?"

Harry and Ron groaned disgustedly and turned away from him as Hermione shrugged her shoulders, her mouth a thin line.

"Wh-what is he – uh…doing – here?" Ginny stammered, looking first at Draco, then to her parents.

"He's been here all summer," muttered Ron. "Unfortunately..."

"Oh, be nice, Ron," Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "Ginny, I'm sure this is very difficult for you to understand, but Draco here has joined the Order."

"What?" Ginny shouted, her eyes widening in disbelief. She stared straight at Draco, who saw genuine shock in her eyes. "Why did he do that?" Draco knew that the question was directed toward anybody but himself, but he felt as if Ginny was really asking him.

"It's complicated," Draco cut in before anybody else could answer. "I don't think a simple mind like yours could comprehend it." He finished his statement with a convincing smirk.

For a moment Ginny's eyes flared with anger, but she forced a bitter smile on her face. Draco grinned back, and he hoped that Ginny knew that he wasn't serious, that he was only putting up a good show for the others. She rolled her eyes and turned to Hermione.

"Why don't you show me where I'm staying, Hermione," Ginny said, picking up her suitcase.

"Sure," Hermione answered with smile. She glanced uncertainly at Draco, as if wondering if he would make some other rude comment, but then walked toward the door. Draco moved out of their way. However, Ginny managed to knock her shoulder into his on the way past him. To someone else, it was the fiery Weasley spirit coming out in Ginny, but to Draco, who alone saw the amusement and happy satisfaction in her eyes, it sang a completely different song.

Too long had it been since Draco and Ginny had had a real conversation. Draco longed to be alone with Ginny, to explain everything to her. And tonight, if all went well, he would get his wish.

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**A/N:** The first chapter is short, yes. There is not much plot in this one, but that's because it's the first chapter. You'll find out a bunch more in the next chapter, like what Draco has been up to all summer. And because I have so much work, I probably won't be able to update too often, but I hope that you won't have to wait too long in between chapters. I know how much people hate that. And even if it seems like I have forgotten the story, I have not. I already have the ending planned, and I will finish this story. Just like with _This Is Who You Are_…I promised that I would finish that one – I did; I promise that I will finish this one – and I will.

Please review!

Lauren


	2. Draco at Last

Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews! I'm glad to see so many people who reviewed my last story staying for this one.

Disclaimer: This story I do not own. This story is not on loan. This story I don't not call mine. Please believe that I'm not lyin'.

**Chapter 2: Draco at Last**

Ginny followed Hermione up two flights of stairs until they stood in an empty hallway. Hermione walked to the door at the end of the corridor and opened it. Inside Ginny saw a room with one bed, and one bed only.

"We're not sharing a room?" Ginny asked, half-disappointed, half-excited.

"No," Hermione replied, staring at the room. "I guess not. Everyone has their own room this time. I do, Harry does, Ron does, Malfoy, even his mum."

"His mum is here?" inquired Ginny, looking at Hermione curiously.

"Mm-hmm," Hermione replied, grabbing Ginny's bag and setting it on the bed.

Ginny sat down, Hermione's words ringing through her like a bell. Narcissa Malfoy was here? Two emotions filled Ginny then: happiness and dread. She was happy that Draco had his mother back safe and sound, but Ginny couldn't help but remember the cold way Narcissa treated her. Would that change over time, as Reina Juriac had suggested? Ginny's friend had said that Narcissa wasn't lost, that there was still hope for the two of them to get along. Would she indeed be right?

And what exactly was Narcissa doing here anyway? Had she joined the Order with Draco, or was this just a safe place for her to stay?

"So where's she staying?" Ginny asked.

"Some other room on this floor. I think it's funny, actually," Hermione pondered. "All of the women are on this floor, and all of the men are on the floor directly below us. I know it wasn't Harry's doing, because he was wondering the same thing, so it must have been Dumbledore."

Ginny was silent. Draco was staying on the floor below them. Though that might make it difficult to see him, the fact that she had her own room and didn't have to share with Hermione was promising. Perhaps there would be time for one of them to steal away to the other's room…

"Well, Ginny, did you know that –"

The door to the room opened, interrupting Hermione to reveal Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

"Hey, Ginny," began Ron, but he stopped at seeing the exasperated look on Hermione's face. "What?" he asked, stopping in the doorway.

"Don't you ever knock?" Hermione asked. "What if one of us had been changing clothes or something?"

"But you weren't," Ron said happily, pointing his finger at Hermione. "So that's all that matters."

While Ginny smiled, Hermione shook her head sadly.

"How've you been, Ginny?" Harry asked. Ginny looked to the dark-haired boy, whom she had once loved – infatuation, it probably had been. Whereas a year ago, when Harry would walk into a room, Ginny's heart would leap into her throat, now she was able to smile at him without even sweating, and the best part was that she no longer cared for him romantically. A new person had filled that spot, filled it in a way that Harry never had.

"Pretty good," Ginny said, nodding. "Terribly bored, but now that I'm here, things should be more interesting."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Harry began. "I would've invited you too, you know, but Ron told me not to."

"Ron!" exclaimed Ginny, staring indignantly at her brother. Hermione huffed and folded her arms across her chest.

"Honestly, Ron," the older girl admonished.

Ron sheepishly turned to his sister, sending a glare towards Harry. "I-I-thought you'd like it better at home…you know how you always liked being at home during the summer…"

"Well, yeah," Ginny said sarcastically, her brows furrowing, "that was when there were actually other people there. I've been stuck at home for two months with nothing to do but de-gnome the garden while you're here having a grand old time saving the world or…something to that extent," she finished quietly, her mouth a thin line.

Her brother gave a fleeting laugh that didn't carry to his anxiety-filled eyes before saying weakly, "Care for a game of chess?"

Ginny shook her head at her brother actions, but soon a smile crept onto her face; who could stay mad at a brother who was looking at you as if he'd just committed some unforgivable sin? "Sure," Ginny said.

As she followed Harry and her brother out of the room, Ginny shrugged at Hermione. She'd be able to talk to her friend later, probably; whatever Hermione had been about to tell her could wait for now.

* * *

The result of a chess game between Ginny and Ron ended with the latter pulling at his hair in frustration as the former proudly crowing, "Checkmate! I win. Again," Ginny added smugly. Ron waved his hand at her in disgust and leaned back in his chair in one of the sitting rooms at Grimauld Place. The two of them had been playing each other for nearly a half hour now, and both times Ginny had won. Hermione, absorbed in a book, sat next to Harry, who watched the game with bored indifference.

Ginny glanced past Ron to the other side of the room, where Draco was sitting. He had walked into the room shortly after their game had begun and had been reading quietly the whole time. At least to the rest of the room, he was reading, but Ginny had a suspicion that Draco was in the room to watch her. To be perfectly honest with herself, some part of Ginny was secretly glad that he was there solely to watch her.

Clearing her throat, Ginny said, "Well, I'm hungry, and it's almost lunch time, so I'm going to go see if Mum or whoever is cooking around her these days needs help." Ron nodded at her and turned to Harry.

On her way out the door, Ginny paused and looked back at Draco, who met her eyes. She raised her eyebrows in question before disappearing out the door. She'd walk slowly toward the kitchen and give Draco time to catch up to her.

Ginny didn't have to wait long, however, because she was barely halfway down the hall when she heard footsteps hurrying to catch up with her. Already smiling, Ginny spun around to come face to face with the person she had longed to see for two months.

When he was two feet away, Draco stopped, and for several seconds, the two stared at each other. Now able to see him up close, Ginny could tell that he hadn't changed much, at least not in appearances. He still had the same handsomeness about him that had captivated Ginny earlier, and his silver eyes still shone brightly.

Swallowing away the tightness in her throat, Ginny said, "Hello."

"Hi," Draco replied, a grin appearing on his face. In the next instant, he had closed the distance between them and his lips were on Ginny's.

Ginny, caught unawares by Draco's sudden movement, barely had time to lift her arms to embrace him before he broke their kiss. "After dinner," he whispered in her ear, "go up to your room early for the night, and I'll come to you."

"Bu–" Ginny began, but then her eyes darted past Draco to where she saw her brother emerging from the room she had just vacated; he was leaning back into the room, saying something to Harry, and Ginny barely had time to step back from Draco before Ron's eyes were upon them.

"Watch where you're going, Weasley!" Draco growled, successfully tripping forward and turning to snarl at Ginny convincingly. Ron started to approach them, but Draco continued his charade as he walked out of the hallway. "The filth in this house has already dirtied me enough. There's no need for your assistance."

By the time Ron was at her side, Draco was gone.

"What was that all about?" Ron inquired suspiciously.

"Oh, you know him," Ginny muttered, scowling at the corner Draco had disappeared around before turning to her brother. "Just being the same sodding Malfoy as always. Have you had to put up with that all summer?"

"Yeah," Ron snorted. "Told you that being home would be better."

"Is that what you meant in your letter about home not having the pests that are here?" Ginny asked, her eyebrows raising.

"Hah, yeah," Ron laughed. "Come on. Malfoy doesn't even deserve our thoughts."

"But why did he join the Order?" Ginny asked, walking with her brother toward the kitchen. "I mean, he's…he's _Malfoy._ Why?"

"Beats me," Ron remarked. "Dumbledore says that he's completely trustworthy though. He and his mum have been here longer than I have this summer."

"Dumbledore and his mum?" Ginny asked.

"No, Ginny," Ron said sarcastically, turning to Ginny. "Dumbledore's like what, eighty years old, and his mum is still alive? Right, like that makes a lot of –"

"Good afternoon, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Weasley," called a very familiar, very knowing voice.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Ginny cried, elbowing Ron in the side. "It's good to see you again."

"And you, Ms. Weasley," acknowledged Dumbledore, nodding his head in her direction. "I trust that you will be staying with us at Grimmauld for the rest of your summer?"

"Yes, Sir," Ginny replied, smiling. "And maybe I'll even get to hear about what's going on in the Order, right?" She had a hopeful look on her face.

"Ah, Ms. Weasley," smiled Dumbledore happily, "the aspirations of the young never cease to delight me. But keep those ambitions of yours, and in a year or two, perhaps, you can join the Order."

"But let's hope that there's no need for the Order in a year or two, right?" Ginny asked, her smile softening a bit.

Dumbledore gazed at her for a moment before he replied slowly, "Exactly."

Throughout the conversation, Ron had been standing next to Ginny, a slightly green tinge to his face. As Dumbledore started to walk away from them and Ginny continued on, he glanced back at his former Headmaster before following Ginny.

"Oh, and Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore added, turning around.

"Huh?" squeaked Ron nervously.

"Do I really look as old as eighty?"

Ginny had to laugh at the contemplatively troubled look on her Headmaster's face, and she laughed even harder at the miserable look on her brother's face; Ginny was sure that Ron failed to notice the amusement in Dumbledore's eyes.

Ron whimpered some response that Ginny couldn't hear, but Dumbledore walked away chuckling and Ron continued on in stony silence, so she assumed that all was well.

* * *

Asking to help Mrs. Weasley prepare for lunch had different results that what Ginny had originally intended. After eating, she had been assigned the task of getting food ready for dinner. When her mother had suggested this, Ginny had thought it ridiculous since they had only just finished eating lunch, but Molly had said that Order members were expected for dinner and so they had much to prepare.

Hours later, Ginny collapsed in an exhausted mess onto her bed in her room. While she had been peeling potatoes with her mum and mixing up different beans for a salad, Ginny had been thinking about Draco. Tonight she would get to see him in private and would be able to talk to him like she used to – without the fear of anybody hearing or seeing them.

Ginny glanced at the clock on the wall; it read 4 'o clock. Dinner would be in roughly two hours, Molly Weasley had said. Rubbing her eyes, Ginny laid back down, feeling herself relax. Not getting much sleep the night before was catching up to her now. Ginny just hoped that she'd be able to stay awake long enough for Draco to come to her tonight.

Resisting the urge to fall asleep, Ginny rolled out of her bed and proceeded to take a shower in the bathroom down the hall. After spending several hours in a hot kitchen, a cool shower felt wonderful.

After that, she spent the rest of the afternoon playing games and talking with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. According to Harry, Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George were all coming tonight. Ginny wondered if there were any thoughts of something other than just a friendly dinner; after all, to have so many Order members over just for dinner was strange. In addition, Severus Snape was arriving afterwards. Ginny's main suspicion was that a meeting was planned. Why else would Dumbledore be at headquarters at this time of day, and why would Snape come if not for a meeting?

When Ginny finally sat down to supper that evening, she saw Draco again; she hadn't seen him at all since their meeting in the hallway. If Ginny had had her way, she would have been sitting right next to Draco. It would have been easier to sit next to him and pretend to ignore him than to have seven people separating them, as was the case. Fred, George, Bill, and Charlie had all arrived late that afternoon, and Ginny had enjoyed catching up with them. In addition, the other expected Order members had come.

"Ginny, pass the potatoes, will you?" George called. Ginny frantically tore her eyes away from Draco and passed the bowl of potatoes across the table to George. Had her brother noticed her watching Draco? No, George was now continuing his conversation with Fred without the utmost air of suspicion.

Relived, Ginny shook her head and took another bite of chicken. Only moments later, her eyes darted back towards Draco, only to dash back down to her plate again as a hot blush crept up her neck; Draco had been watching her too. When she dared to look back up, Draco was talking politely with Tonks. It seemed like the metamorphmagus was the only one willing to sit next to Draco, for he was sandwiched in between her and the end of the table.

Of course, Ginny noticed, throughout the dinner others talked to him; she saw Dumbledore, Lupin, her brother Bill, and even her mother, who were all sitting within talking distance of Draco, engage him in a short conversation once or twice. However, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins all seemed to ignore Draco completely, refusing even to look in his direction. Draco seemed only too happy to reciprocate, for the only times Ginny saw his eyes in their direction were when they watching her.

When almost everybody had finished eating, Ginny scraped back her chair and stood up slowly, yawning. "Well," she sighed, "I'm off to bed."

"But Ginny, it's barely six 'o–" began Ron.

"I didn't get much sleep last night, Ronald," Ginny replied airily, resisting the urge to look at Draco. "I'm tired. Goodnight, all!"

From whom she received goodnights, Ginny couldn't tell. Soon, she was back in her room, sitting on her bed. For several minutes, she tried to figure out how long it would take for Draco to come to her, as he had promised.

Nearly an hour passed, and still Draco didn't come. Ginny began to wonder if he even would, or if he had forgotten. It seemed that from the moment she had come to her room, her heart hadn't stopped pounding. Any second Draco would knock on that door, and she would finally be able to talk to him again. Any second, and all Ginny could feel was the butterflies in her stomach. She had heard the phrase, "The suspense will kill you," and now she thought she understood. If she had to wait much longer, she was bound to crack from the strain.

Then, to her utter relief, she heard footsteps outside her door, and Ginny's breath caught in her throat. As a gentle knock sounded, Ginny bolted towards the door and threw it open.

There he stood. His eyes looked through the doorway expectantly, and when they found hers, they lit up. A smile appeared on his face, one that almost broke Ginny's heart. She could see genuine joy on his face, something she had rarely seen. His stormy eyes, which Ginny loved to lose herself in, held so much passion and, if she wasn't mistaken, relief, that her heart started to pulsate.

"Ginny," Draco breathed softly. In one swift movement, he had stepped into her room, shut the door, and wrapped Ginny in his arms. For a time, he just held her, his chin resting on her shoulder.

Ginny felt herself relax and she closed her eyes, satisfied to be held by him again. Her stomach fluttered with a familiar feeling, one she always seemed to feel when Draco held her close to him. It was something she had never experienced until he had come along, and it was something that she hoped to never lose.

"I missed you, Ginny," Draco whispered, pulling away so that he could look into her eyes. His thumb brushed her hair to the side and tucked it behind her ear. Ginny, who suddenly felt her tongue catch in her throat, only managed to smile before he gently captured her lips in his.

Now the feeling in Ginny's stomach intensified, and as Draco's slow caresses became more enthusiastic, she felt her knees start to weaken, and she cursed herself for enjoying how he made her feel, how he used his seductive power over her.

Draco pulled Ginny's body closer to his before moving his hands up to her face and holding her as his mouth worked against hers, his tongue demanding an entrance which Ginny readily yielded. Ginny could feel the desire in him, could tell that he would easily take the situation further; however, he never had before. And as Ginny's breathing became more erratic, Draco relinquished Ginny's mouth and stepped back.

"Merlin, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he sighed.

"Re-really?" Ginny stammered, regaining some control; she smoothed her shirt. The way Draco was looking at her now, with a fire in his eyes, gave Ginny her answer. "That kiss in the hallway was just a preview then?"

"A preview of better things to come," Draco smirked. Ginny blushed at the implications of his statement.

"I missed you," he repeated.

"I know," replied Ginny. "I missed you too."

"How's your summer been?" Draco inquired, taking a seat on Ginny's bed.

Ginny shrugged. "It was alright. Exceedingly boring, though. Mum made me de-gnome the garden I don't know how many times, and no matter how much I asked about what was going on here, nobody would tell me anything."

"I bet seeing me here shocked that cute arse of yours off you, didn't it?" Draco asked, folding his arms across his chest and looking up at Ginny with a mischievous grin on his face.

Ginny snorted and sat down beside Draco, punching him playfully in the shoulder. "Don't be so conceited," she laughed. When Draco tried to sling his arm over her shoulder, Ginny scooted towards the end of the bed and looked at him, equally mischievous. "Draco Malfoy, I'm not entirely sure I feel comfortable sitting so close to you on my bed. What would someone say if they walked in to see us right now?"

"Well, Ginny Weasley," Draco grinned back at her, "I think they would congratulate you on finding yourself such a fine man."

Ginny laughed. "Harry and Ron are right. You really are just a mass of ego that's taken the form of a human boy."

"Man," Draco corrected her, holding up a finger. "I'm eighteen, okay? I am a man."

Ginny didn't know if it was Draco's arrogance, the way he was talking, or if she was just so happy to be back in his presence, but she couldn't stop grinning. "Okay, Draco the Man…" she cleared her throat, trying to look important. "If you are a man, what are you doing with a girl like me?"

"Ah, but you are not a girl," Draco said pensively.

"Oh? Well I'm certainly not a woman."

"No, not a woman either. When you say 'woman,' I think of some old person. No, you, Ginevra Weasley, are a lady."

"Oh," Ginny said. "Well, I guess I'm one lucky _lady,_ then."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because," Ginny said, her voice gradually becoming like that of a baby's, "I have such a big, stwong man to pwotect me." She scrunched her face up and pinched Draco's cheek. Draco swatted her hand away in annoyance, and as he reached for Ginny, she shrieked and backed away, laughing. Draco grabbed Ginny by the ankles as she attempted to escape, and this only caused her to laugh louder. As Ginny scrambled to get away, Draco dragged her towards him, her back lying against the bed. Draco pinned her arms above her head and straddled her waist to keep her from moving.

"What say you now, Ginny?" he asked, grinning.

Ginny, who was fighting to stop herself from blushing at their intimate position, couldn't reply. She just stared up at him, her adoration visible. Draco looked down at her contemplatively for a few seconds before he lowered his head, his lips brushing Ginny's so softly she almost couldn't feel them. She struggled to get her arms free so that she could pull his face closer to hers, but Draco held them firmly in place, shaking his head with a smile.

As Draco placed a soft kiss on Ginny's chin, traveling slowly up the side of her face, Ginny closed her eyes. She could feel his chest inches away from hers, so close and yet so far. She longed to be able to hold him, but Draco seemed to want to do all the work. Having to just lie there and not return the affection was like a torture, slow and unyielding. His kisses were feather-light, teasing; Ginny wondered if Draco knew just how crazy he was making her.

Unexpectedly, as Draco kissed her neck, Ginny whimpered, and with a surprising show of strength, wrenched her arms free and pulled Draco's face closer to hers. Whether or not she would have succeeded in getting more substantial kisses was a matter of debate for Ginny and Draco later on, for at that moment, there was a knock at her door.

The two teens paused, both moving their heads towards the door. Panicking, Ginny slid out from underneath Draco and stood, looking around. Draco sat up, looking uncertainly at the door. Someone knocked again.

"Who is it?" Ginny asked, moving closer to the door.

"Hermione."

"J-just a second. I'm changing," Ginny called out. Turning, she flapped her hands frantically at Draco, motioning for him to hide. He looked around desperately and Ginny, spying the bed, brought him to his knees and shoved him under it.

Once Draco was safely hidden, Ginny threw on a bathrobe over her clothes and opened the door. Hermione, wearing a sweat shirt over her pale blue pajamas, smiled at Ginny and walked in.

"Hey," Hermione greeted her, sitting down on the bed and folding her legs under her.

"Hey," replied Ginny, sitting down next to Hermione uncertainly. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Hermione replied. "We just didn't get to catch up a lot earlier because the boys barged in. I thought we could talk more now."

Ginny groaned inwardly but forced a smile. "Well, what do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know; what do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know," Ginny replied. After a few seconds of an awkward silence, she said, "What were all the Order members doing here?"

"We had a meeting," Hermione said. Instantly Ginny perked up; Draco hadn't mentioned a meeting yet.

"What happened?" Ginny asked. "I mean, what's been going on here all summer?"

Hermione shrugged uncertainly. "Well, there's been all the talk you'd expect – where's Voldemort? What's he up to? What are we going to do about him?"

"And the answers to that are…?"

"Well, Harry and Dumbledore have been talking a lot about the horcruxes and –"

"The what?" Ginny asked.

"Horcruxes," Hermione repeated. "It's a long story, but basically a horcrux is something in which a wizard places part of his soul. Voldemort split his soul into seven pieces, you see. One is still in his body, and six others were placed in different objects. The idea was that if his body died, he would still live because his soul was still alive."

"So…there are six other pieces of Voldemort out and about?" Ginny asked, shocked. She hadn't heard about this before.

"Not anymore," Hermione replied. "Two have already been destroyed. One was a ring that used to belong to Voldemort's mum's side of the family, and Dumbledore got that one. And the other…" Hermione trailed off, looking anxiously at Ginny.

"What was the other?" Ginny asked, ignoring the foreboding feeling in the room.

"It was…the diary," Hermione said slowly, fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

Ginny sat back, looking at Hermione. She knew exactly what diary Hermione was talking about; she knew all too well. "That was part of why it seemed so alive," Hermione continued. "It had part of him still in it. But Harry destroyed it back in our second year, so that one is gone too."

"So," Ginny began, "there are still four other parts of him out there?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "And Dumbledore is positive that Voldemort can't be defeated until all of the horcruxes are destroyed, so that's basically our plan of action."

"But how is he going to find them? I mean, they could be anything!" Ginny cried.

"That's the problem. But he had a pretty good idea of what they are, so we don't have to worry about it. The hard part will be to actually locate and destroy them. But let's not talk about it now," Hermione sighed. "It's not a very uplifting conversation."

"Huh," Ginny remarked. The two fell into silence again, during which Hermione removed her sweatshirt, claiming that Ginny's room was too stuffy. After Ginny retorted by saying that that it wasn't hot at all, all the while sweating like crazy under her fuzzy bathrobe, Hermione looked up excitedly, a new thought showing in her eyes.

"What did you think of seeing Malfoy here, huh?" She asked, her eyes wide.

Ginny cleared her throat. "Well, it was rather disturbing, really," she said, choking back a laugh. "Why didn't anybody tell me?"

"Dumbledore said not to tell _anybody_," Hermione replied. "We couldn't. Harry and Ron hate it that he's here, but Dumbledore said he was on our side. We don't even know the fully story."

"Oh," Ginny replied. "Well, couldn't Harry have just not let him in? I mean, this is technically Harry's house, right?"

"I guess." Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I haven't talked to Malfoy a lot. Seems like he's either sulking in his room or being a pain in the arse. Well, at least to Harry and Ron. He seems to get along alright with Dumbledore. Oh, hey, Ginny, did I tell you that Ewan is coming?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"No," Ginny replied. "Ron mentioned something about it in a letter though."

"Yeah, he doesn't exactly know where it is he's coming to, since he doesn't know the whereabouts of the Order of the Phoenix, but we got to talking about it last year and he said that he wanted to join. So we're meeting with Dumbledore in a few days to get it all organized."

"Really," Ginny murmured. "That ought to be good. I mean, the more members in the Order the better, right?"

"Mm-hmm," Hermione remarked, nodding her head. "Plus, it'll be great to see him again. Ever since school let out, we've just been writing letters like crazy. I miss him…I bet you never thought I'd act like this over a guy, right?" Hermione pushed some of her hair behind her ears, looking only slightly uncomfortable. "I mean, wasn't I always the one saying that worrying over boys was pointless? Could only cause more stress? That school was more important?"

Ginny laughed nervously. Truth be told, the last thing she wanted was to have a discussion on boyfriends when only a few feet of mattress, springs, and blankets separated Draco from them.

"Well, it's not like they're completely bad, I guess," Hermione contemplated. "What about you, though, Ginny? Are you going to find a guy when you go back to school?"

"Uh," Ginny coughed. "Wh-why do I need to bother with boys? Like you said, they're just a big pain."

Something that felt suspiciously like a foot –an angry foot– knocked into the mattress underneath Ginny, but the girl shifted positions on the bed so that Hermione wouldn't suspect anything. She coughed again.

"Well, uh, what I mean is," began Ginny, "what do I need with a boy when I can have a _man_?" she laughed. "I mean, boys are so immature and arrogant, right? If I had a _man,_ then I wouldn't have to worry about a thing," she finished lightly.

Hermione looked at her questioningly. "Gin, you aren't thinking of turning into one of those girls who is…in to – guys that are…like, twenty years older than them, are you?" Hermione asked uncomfortably.

"No," Ginny snorted. "I was being slightly sarcastic. What I meant was that dating a Hogwarts boy right now is not what I need. I'll wait until I'm out of school to start dating." _There, _thought Ginny. _Now I don't have to worry about Hermione asking me why I'm not dating anybody at Hogwarts during my final year._

"That's the spirit, Ginny!" Hermione beamed. "It's good to keep your mind focused on your studies. After all, what boy –err, man– will respect you if you can't keep your grades up?"

"Exactly," Ginny replied with a smile. After a few seconds of silence, Ginny yawned, surprised to find that she didn't even have to force it out. Hermione saw this and stood up.

"Well, I should go, I guess. You did say that you didn't get much sleep last night."

"Alright," Ginny replied, standing up as well. "We can talk more tomorrow, I suppose."

"Yeah. Goodnight," said Hermione.

"Goodnight."

After Hermione was out of the room, Ginny shut the door with a thankful sigh and threw off the bathrobe. "Man, that was a close one. Draco?" Ginny asked, kneeling down and looking under the bed.

"Bloody hell, you girls can talk forever," Draco exclaimed indignantly, squirming out from underneath the bed. "Do you have any idea how much dust is under that thing? I don't think Potter's had the house elves cleaning very well."

"You know there aren't any house elves here," said Ginny, helping Draco up. "And I didn't mean to talk that long."

"Hmph," Draco snorted, laying down on Ginny's bed and stretching. "So Granger's got herself a boy-toy now, has she?"

"Boy_friend_," Ginny corrected him. "And she's actually quite fond of him, so I wouldn't push it when he gets here." Ginny pushed Draco's legs off the bed and sat down, resting her back against the wall. Draco, with a smirk, lifted his legs back up and laid them across Ginny's lap.

"He's not one of those bookworms like she is, is he?" Draco asked, frowning.

"Do you think Hermione would date someone who isn't?" Ginny smiled. "Of course he is, and he's nice too. Unlike _some _boys I can think of."

"Obviously not me," Draco said airily, "because we've already established that I am a man."

"Right," laughed Ginny. Clearing her throat, she asked, "So what did Hermione mean exactly by all that horcrux talk?"

Draco's face instantly hardened and he looked down. "She had it all right. Potter is supposed to go find the others and destroy them."

"But –"

"You know," cut in Draco, "I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with Granger on one thing: Let's not talk about it tonight."

Ginny frowned, but nodded. "Fine then. Tell me what you're doing here of all places. And you brought your mother?"

Draco nodded. "After we got back from down under the school that night at Hogwarts, and after you passed out and were taken to the Hospital Wing," Draco said, "I had a talk with Dumbledore. I told him all about my mother and how I didn't want to become a Death Eater like my father and how my father thought that I was dead. And then Dumbledore said that my mother and I could come stay here and I could help the Order."

"So you are actually a member?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, I am," Draco answered. Then he suddenly grinned. "Come to think of it, I became a member of the Order of the Phoenix before Potter or your brother or Granger did, even."

"Oh boy," Ginny chuckled. "I bet Ron was upset when he found out, right?"

"If I remember correctly," sighed Draco with happiness, "there was a fight –a verbal fight– between Potter and Dumbledore when Potter got here, because I had already been initiated and he hadn't, and he thought I was spying for Voldemort. And then many of the other Order members questioned Dumbledore's actions when they found out because most of them didn't know about it either."

"But they trust Dumbledore, right?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, it's just like with Snape," Draco said. "Not all trust him, but they trust Dumbledore, so they accept Snape. In fact, Snape is one of the few besides my cousin to really accept me."

"And so," continued Ginny, "you've just been hanging out here all summer? Have you even been out of headquarters? What have you been doing?"

Draco sighed. "To your first question…yes. Second question…no. Third question…I've been going to all these Order meetings and learning about what I can do to help. I haven't been allowed out of headquarters because someone might see me and tell my father, who still thinks I'm dead. So I've been holed up in here all summer."

Ginny made a face. "Hmm…well, we'll have to see if we can get you out at all."

"Good luck with that…" sighed Draco. "I doubt I'll be allowed out. But…now that you're here, it won't be so bad."

Ginny smiled softly at Draco and patted his legs, which were still draped across her legs. Ginny felt another yawn come, and though she tried to force it back, it succeeded in escaping. Draco watched her, and Ginny, her mouth wide open in her yawn, laughed, and her yawn died on her lips.

"You _are_ tired," acknowledged Draco. "Granger was right. You should get some sleep." He started to slide his legs out from under Ginny.

"No, I'm fine, you don't have to –" she began.

"Ssh," Draco interrupted her. "I can tell you're tired. You'll be better entertainment for me tomorrow if you're actually awake."

"Oh, so I'm just a source of amusement for you now, am I?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrow.

Draco smirked playfully at her. "You bet," he grinned as he leaned in for a kiss. Ginny smiled against his mouth before pulling away; and when she did, Draco frowned.

"I shouldn't waste all of my amusement on you tonight," she said loftily.

"You are getting just a bit too conniving for my liking, woman," Draco grinned, shaking his head.

Ginny opened the door and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, pushing him through the doorway. "Ah, but we've already established," whispered Ginny, "that I am in fact a lady."

She winked at him and leaned against the doorway. Draco bowed mockingly before her and started to walk away, a smile on his face. Ginny watched him go and was just about to turn back into her room when Hermione came rushing down from the other end of the hallway.

Ginny's eyes darted towards Draco's retreating figure; Hermione couldn't possibly have missed seeing him.

"Hey, Ginny," Hermione breathed heavily, stopping in front of the door. She glanced down the hall where Draco was turning the corner. "Is that Malfoy?" she asked with a frown.

"Oh, is it?" Ginny murmured, hoping her nervousness wasn't audible. She peered down the hallway. "Must have been visiting his mum or something…didn't you say that she was staying on this floor too?"

Hermione eyed Ginny suspiciously but nodded. "I left my sweatshirt in your room. Mind if I get it?"

She was still looking at Ginny cautiously as Ginny let her into the room. Hermione picked up her sweatshirt from the bed and turned back to the door. Then she halted. "Gin? Why are you wearing your clothes? Weren't you wearing a bathrobe when I came in last?"

Ginny's eyes darted down to the clothes she had been wearing all day, and panic once again assailed her. "Uh…I had thought to go downstairs and get something to drink, and I didn't want to go in my bathrobe," she stated nervously. Would Hermione buy her story? "I'm not that thirsty anymore, actually."

"Well…whatever," replied Hermione, shrugging her shoulders. Ginny could tell, though, that some suspicion lingered in her friend's eyes.

After she once again said goodnight to Hermione, Ginny collapsed on her bed and stared at her ceiling, hoping that Hermione wouldn't figure things out. _Are you kidding, Ginny?_ she thought to herself in dismay. _She's Hogwarts' smartest witch. _

_Oh bollocks…I'm doomed._

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**A/N: **So there's chapter two. Hopefully this will be kind of a constant chapter length. Occasionally they'll be shorter like the first chapter, but then sometimes they're really long, like some in my last story were.

Please review!

Lauren


	3. Dumbledore Knows

I'm very sorry for the wait…Horrible case of writer's block. But it's gone, and I have another chapter. Hopefully you haven't forgotten anything yet. I must warn you though, if you haven't read _This Is Who You Are, _then the end of this chapter probably won't make much sense.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.

**Chapter 3: Dumbledore Knows**

The next morning, Draco walked through the hallway to his bedroom, kicking the door shut after he had entered. Sighing, Draco sat down on his bed and dropped his head into his hands. There was so much running through his mind, the first and foremost thought being of Ginny.

Last night had lifted Draco's spirits so high he thought someone had given him a permanent cheering charm. Seeing Ginny again, kissing her and holding her again, had been something Draco had desired for months. Being granted that wish filled him with an emotion he didn't know how to describe.

There was, however, one thing that dampened Draco's elatedness, and that was the meeting that he had attended the night before. He sighed again and shook his head at the plan that had been formulated…

"_As we all know," began Dumbledore, standing from his seat, "Voldemort has risen to power once again. Throughout this summer, we have been coming up with various ideas and plans of action that we can take. So far, few have been able to stand up to the daunting task of defeating Voldemort."_

_Draco sat back in his seat and looked at his former headmaster, the man who had placed an enormous amount of trust in him. They were all sitting at the large table in the kitchen – Draco, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Bill and Charlie Weasley, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Remus Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Alastor Moody, and Albus Dumbledore. Draco had wanted to sit in the far corner of the room, as he always did for meetings, but Dumbledore had requested that he sit next to Harry Potter; and so, reluctantly, Draco sat next to his former enemy, the boy he had grown up hating. None of his distaste for the bespectacled hero had lessened, and he was certainly never polite to Harry, but Draco no longer instigated fights by calling Hermione Granger a mudblood or by teasing Ron Weasley about his family's wealth. Draco did, though, take a certain grim pleasure from making the trio's life as hectic and bothersome as possible. _

_So Draco, listening to Dumbledore once again try to spark ideas for a plan among the Order members who had attended the meeting, sat back quietly, subtly scraping his chair further away from Harry's. He could feel Harry's disdainful glance, but Draco paid no mind to it; he knew that neither Harry nor Ron trusted him, that they thought he was a spy. Draco suspected Hermione thought the same, though she seemed to be a bit more accepting of him by not casting the rude remarks her friends did._

"_Everybody knows of the horcruxes and that there are four more that must be destroyed. We know what three of those four are," Dumbledore said, looking around the room. "The Slytherin locket, the Hufflepuff cup, and the snake Nagini. There is one more out there of either, I believe, Gryffindor's or Ravenclaw's. I have the only known Gryffindor relic, the sword, and I can assure you that it is not a horcrux. That leaves the possibility of something of Ravenclaw's or another Gryffindor item that I do not yet know of."_

"_But where are the horcruxes?" spoke up Kingsley Shacklebolt. "How are we supposed to find them?"_

"_We search for them," Moody growled. "We search everywhere."_

"_Be reasonable, Alastor," sighed McGonagall with a roll of her eyes. "We couldn't possibly search the entire world for these horcruxes. We must start somewhere and have a plan."_

"_Why not start with the old Gaunt house?" Snape asked dully. "Perhaps he went back there to hide one of them."_

"_Perhaps," Dumbledore acknowledged. "He may have been suspecting we search there, though, and so there may be no horcrux after all. But it is a good place to start."_

"_Well, why not dispatch a team to search the remains then?" Tonks asked excitedly. "We can find it and destroy it and then there are only three left."_

_Dumbledore smiled at Tonks. "I do appreciate your enthusiasm, but we must be absolutely sure of the risks of every action we take from here on. One false move and everything could be over for us. We shall consider the possibility of the Gaunt house."_

"_And what about the prophecy?" Moody inquired. "What about Potter? He's supposed to be the one to destroy Voldemort."_

_Draco resolutely stared at the table as everybody else turned their heads to gaze at Harry; Draco felt him shift uncomfortably in his seat and smirked softly. _

"_About Harry…" Dumbledore murmured. "It is true, according to the prophecy, that either Harry will kill Voldemort or that Voldemort will kill Harry. It is destined. But we shall do all in our power to see that it is Harry who is the one to survive. I think that, perhaps, to ensure our success in destroying the horcruxes and keeping Harry safe, he should stay here at Grimauld for the time being and –"_

"_No way!" shouted Harry angrily, shaking his head at Dumbledore. "I'm not going to stay locked up here because you think it's too dangerous out there for me. If Voldemort's going to kill me, he's going to kill me. It's not going to matter where I am because I'll end up dead either way; and if I'm going to die, I want to go down fighting, searching–" Harry paused and looked around the room. Draco turned in his seat and glanced at Harry, in whose eyes he saw determination and fire. "I'm going with whoever's searching for those horcruxes," he finished quietly._

_For a moment, there was silence in the room as Dumbledore gazed at Harry appraisingly. Draco, loath as he was to admit it, couldn't help but agree with Harry. Having been locked inside the house of a dead man for nearly two months, he longed to see the sky again. To sit safely inside and wait while others risked their lives for his own sake was not something Draco would tolerate either. _

_Then, out of the silence, Ron said, "And I'm going with him."_

"_Oh no you're not, Ronald Weasley," Molly Weasley cut in quickly. Draco swallowed his smile at her tone of voice – half threatening, half worried._

"_Mum, I'm not a kid anymore," Ron said, his mouth in a firm line. "I'm eighteen and I'm going with Harry. I'm his best mate! Besides, I wouldn't let him go save the entire world all by himself. He needs someone there to help him."_

"_But you're –" Mrs. Weasley began._

"_Molly," Mr. Weasley interrupted, and Mrs. Weasley looked at her husband, her mouth still open. "Ron's right. He's a grown man now and we can't make his decisions. He has to do that for himself."_

_Mrs. Weasley looked like she was going to say something else, but she remained quiet, her shoulders slumping weakly; she stared at Ron._

_Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Harry, I understand your frustration, but you must see how dangerous it would be for you to go out on such a mission."_

"_I don't care how dangerous it is," Harry said firmly. "Until Voldemort is dead, it's dangerous for everybody. This needs to end."_

_Draco looked down at his lap, understanding again where Harry was coming from. Draco himself would have no freedom until Voldemort and the Death Eaters were gone. Who knew how long he'd have to stay in this house. If only he could get out and about, if only he felt like he was doing something useful, things might not be so bad. Dumbledore had promised in the spring that Draco would be helping the Order, but so far, Draco hadn't been doing much._

"_Well, Harry, if you are certain that you are up this –" said Dumbledore slowly._

"_I am," cut in Harry excitedly._

"_Then, I suppose things can be arranged. Mr. Weasley can, of course, accompany you, and I will send one other Order member with you, but I would ask that Ms. Granger remains behind."_

"_But Professor Dumbledore –" Hermione protested, shocked._

"_Hermione," Dumbledore said calmly, "Death Eaters do not take kindly to muggleborns they happen to capture, and especially not to women. I ask that none of you argue me on this point, as I adamantly refuse to let you accompany your friends."_

_Hermione glanced over at Harry and Ron wildly, as if hoping that they would protest, but they wouldn't look her in the eye. Seeing she would get no help from them, Hermione looked around the rest of the room for anyone who seemed likely to help her, but she received nothing. Finally, inevitably, her eyes landed on Draco, and he looked back into her desperate eyes. His face was blank for a few seconds before he shrugged his shoulders and looked away uncomfortably._

_Dejected, Hermione shrank in her seat and stared at the table._

"_Do not be so downcast, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said as soothingly as he could; he was met with an uncharacteristic scowl of Hermione's. "You must be here because a one Mr. Swestan shall be joining the Order in a few days, if all goes well."_

_Frowning, Draco looked back to Dumbledore. Swestan? That name didn't sound familiar at all. However, it seemed Hermione knew of him, for a small smile appeared on her face and she sat a little straighter. Others in the room looked around in confusion as well, but Harry and Ron seemed unperturbed by the news._

"_You see, everybody," Dumbledore said to appease the questions he was receiving, "Hermione assures me that her boyfriend, Ewan Swestan, has shown an intense dispassion for Voldemort and has offered to join the Order. He graduated Hogwarts this summer. I'm afraid that I cannot remember this boy in particular, as I have many students at Hogwarts, but I understand that he is entirely trustworthy."_

"_Well perhaps this Ewan fellow is," Snape said, a greasy lip curling, "but is Ms. Granger? It seems as if she let slip the existence of the Order of the Phoenix to her…uh…" Snape gave a slight, disbelieving cough, "boyfriend."_

"_I only did that because he had shown hate for Voldemort ever since I'd known him and  
I thought he'd want to know that he could help fight," Hermione said heatedly. "And it's not like nobody knows about the Order; Voldemort knows of it. Sir," she added as an afterthought, looking slightly uncertain about her outburst._

"_There, you see, Severus?" Dumbledore beamed. "All is well. Hermione and I are meeting with the young man two days from now in Diagon Alley, and I shall make sure that all is right with him. If I do not believe him to be absolutely trustworthy, he shall not join the Order and there is no harm done."_

_Snape still looked peeved, but he said nothing. _

"_To conclude this meeting," continued Dumbledore, "is really to say, let it be continued. I will be in contact with each of you soon to let you know of further plans and to see if you have acquired any new information. Severus," Dumbledore said, turning to Snape, "I trust that you will continue with what we spoke of last night." Dumbledore gazed seriously at Snape, and Draco noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchange knowing looks._

"_Yes, Sir," Snape replied stoically._

_Annoyed that the trio knew something that he didn't, Draco scowled and slumped lower in his seat. What a meeting this had been. Not once had Draco been mentioned, and not once had anything that he didn't already know been spoken of._

_As those around the table started to rise from their seats, Dumbledore said, "Oh, one last thing. Draco –"_

_At the sound of his name, Draco halted, half-way out of his seat, and looked towards Dumbledore. "Yes?" he asked._

"_After lunch tomorrow, I will be coming to see you. There is a matter that I wish to speak to you about."_

"_Okay," Draco replied slowly, acutely aware of Harry, Ron, and Hermione both watching him suspiciously. On his way out the door, just to give the three something to ponder on, Draco smirked evilly. _

And so Draco sat in his room, wondering what Dumbledore could possibly want with him that couldn't have been mentioned in front of the other Order members the night before. Had he some special plan for Draco? Had Draco done something wrong? Was there a change in plans, and Dumbledore decided he didn't want Draco in the Order? Hundreds of possibilities were running through Draco's mind, many of which would have been deemed ridiculous if they had been given proper thought, but Draco was too worried to think rationally about it. This was one of the few times where Draco actually felt unnerved; that seemed to happen a lot when he was around Dumbledore. Strangely enough, it seemed that Draco was either unsettled or calmed by his talks with the Hogwarts headmaster. What would be the result of this meeting?

For the rest of the morning, Draco remained in his room dwelling on the possible outcomes of his meeting. When it was time for lunch, he left his room and went downstairs. For the most part over the summer, Draco had refrained from eating with the others, but now that Ginny was here, he wanted every opportunity he could to be with her. Draco didn't care if he would have to pretend to hate her; just seeing her would be enough.

When he walked into the kitchen, Draco found that Hermione, Harry, and Ron were conversing quietly on one side of the table. They all gave him furtive, questioning looks upon his entrance, but Draco ignored them and took a seat at the opposite side of the table. Lazily, almost with seemingly bored indifference, Draco looked around the room and saw Ginny picking up a pile of plates.

When she saw Draco, Ginny paused uncertainly. "Uh, how many people did you say were showing up for lunch, Mum?" Ginny asked over her shoulder as she set a plate in front of her brother.

"As of now," replied Molly Weasley, her back to her daughter, "five. Your father said he won't be making it here for lunch; work is busy today, I suppose…Oh, Draco," Mrs. Weasley started, noticing Draco as she turned around. "I'm – I'm glad that you could join us. Ginny, dear, get another plate."

Draco raised his eyebrows; Mrs. Weasley clearly hadn't been expecting him, judging by her surprise. Draco watched as Ginny walked towards him slowly and set the last plate in her hands down in front of him. For a moment, Draco kept his blank eyes on her, but when he noticed her lips twitching as she struggled to hide a smile, he wrinkled his face in disgust.

"Ugh, Weasley, stop staring," he scoffed, looking away. "I know I look good, but really, that's just embarrassing."

If Draco had been paying closer attention, he would have noticed Ginny's face heat up as she walked away to get another plate and he would have noticed Hermione's keen eyes watching him from the other side of the table. As it was, when Draco turned his head back towards the room, Ginny's back was to him and Hermione, who had erased her contemplative look, was chatting once more with Harry and Ron, who seemed none the wiser to the situation.

"Well, then," sighed Mrs. Weasley, carrying a large bowl of tossed greens to the table, "it looks like we have six for lunch, then."

"Make that seven," announced a new voice from the doorway, and all heads simultaneously turned to see none other than Narcissa Malfoy enter the room.

"Oh, Mrs. Malfoy, how…nice of you to join us," greeted Mrs. Weasley weakly, forcing onto her face a smile which appeared more as a grimace. "Won't you please sit down?"

Narcissa looked distastefully around the room for a moment before, with the air of one doing some noble deed, she gracefully sat in the seat next to her son.

Draco, who had rarely seen his mother come down to meals with the others, was surprised, and, to be completely honest, slightly frightened. He remembered how Ginny and his mother had clashed back at Reina Juriac's. Narcissa and Molly Weasley were even worse together; though the latter tried to be nice and accepting, Narcissa made it nearly impossible to have a normal conversation. She hardly joined in the conversations herself, but she had a way of sniffing, coughing, or looking at someone that suggested what she thought of what they were saying; it was almost worse than actually hearing her speak. Draco was used to this sort of behavior, for even before he had freed his mother from the Imperious Curse, she had been like this when with people she clearly thought little of. The only trouble was, in the presence of the Weasleys, Draco himself was supposed to feel similarly.

"I'm afraid," commented Molly Weasley, "that it's chicken sandwiches for lunch again." Ron groaned at this comment, but his mother continued. "But try some of my salad; I just made it this morning."

Draco glanced at his mother out of the corner of her eye to see her staring at Mrs. Weasley. Then, with a slight tilt of her head and a raise of her eyebrows, Narcissa reached for the salad and put some on her plate, giving Molly Weasley a cold look. Draco felt his insides twist at the kind and hopeful look on Mrs. Weasley's face, and when he saw Ginny staring down at her own plate, Draco felt even worse.

In an uncharacteristic, benevolent attempt at breaking the ice, Draco said, "I'll take some."

While Molly Weasley sent Draco a warm look, his own mother gave him a cold, calculating glance as she stiffly passed him the salad. Ron, Draco noticed, also bore a sense of animosity; Ginny, however, had looked up at him with a grateful smile.

Clearing his throat, Draco picked up his fork and started eating the salad, which he found to be quite good. Thankfully, he heard Ginny start a quiet conversation with her mother; if all went well, both he and Ginny would escape this possibly dangerous situation. Draco recalled an incident earlier that year in which he had told his mother that he and Ginny were friends. If that slipped out now, things would become disastrous, awkward questions would be asked, and quite likely, Ron would attack. Draco made a mental note to, in the future, try keeping his mother away from Ginny.

"Would you like a sandwich, Narcissa?" Mrs. Weasley asked, holding the plate out.

For a moment, Narcissa looked like she was about to viciously reply, but to Draco's immense relief, she took a chicken sandwich from the plate without saying a word. Draco let out the breath he had been holding. Was it possible that his mother was changing her ways, that she would be nice from now on?

"I suppose, if a _sandwich_ is all there is…" replied Narcissa, looking dully at the food in her hands. "At my house, this wouldn't have been considered an adequate meal for a house elf, let alone for guests of such eminence. However, I suppose I can't be picky, hmm?" She smiled maliciously at Mrs. Weasley before biting into the sandwich.

_Guess not…_thought Draco, suppressing a groan. The hurt look on Molly's face was almost too much for him to bear; however, a fire shined in her eyes that reminded him of the angry look Ginny acquired when he pushed the teasing too far. Draco held his breath, waiting for the explosion.

"Picky?" Mrs. Weasley forced through gritted teeth. "Picky? I'll show you picky."

But whether or not that promise would have been fulfilled was left in the air, for at that moment, Albus Dumbledore entered the room. Gratefully, Draco stood up.

"Hello, Professor," he said with a smile, temporarily forgetting what Dumbledore was coming for, so glad was he to have put a stop to the fight which seemed imminent.

"Draco, it is good to see you in such a happy mood," replied Dumbledore brightly. "Ah, Narcissa!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up. "The very woman I was looking for. I was wondering if perhaps you would join myself and Draco for a little chat."

Narcissa, with pursed lips, sent Mrs. Weasley a fake smile and stood. "I think I will," she replied. "Come along, Draco," she said, leading the way out of the room."

Draco looked back quickly to see Harry, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley all staring after her hatefully. Ginny sent Draco an unsure look and shrugged her shoulders before returning to her meal.

"Draco?" Dumbledore asked, motioning towards the door. Draco followed the man out, and they both caught up with Narcissa. Dumbledore led them down a few halls until he opened a room which, to Draco's surprise, resembled his office at Hogwarts exactly.

"This isn't the same place, is it?" Draco asked, though he felt sure it wasn't.

"No," replied Dumbledore. "It isn't. It is merely a charm, and it serves its purpose for when I must meet in private here. It does look like my office at Hogwarts, though, doesn't it?" He smiled.

"What do you wish to speak with us of?" Narcissa asked. "Draco hasn't done anything wrong, has he?"

"Oh no," Dumbledore reassured her, sitting in his chair. "Please, have a seat and I will explain." Draco and Narcissa sat in the two chairs that rested in front of Dumbledore's desk. "It isn't anything Draco has done, at least has done _yet._"

Draco frowned, wondering where this conversation was going to lead.

"Earlier this year, I had a conversation with Draco," Dumbledore began. "I learned that, hard as it may be to believe, he and young Ginny Weasley have become friends. In fact, they are more than friends."

Draco felt his mother stiffen in her seat.

"Excuse me?" she asked tightly. "I understood that my son was…friends…with that girl, but you are telling me that they are _more_? Draco, what does he mean?"

"It's quite simple, really," Dumbledore answered for Draco. "They have developed feelings for each other and, as Draco has told me and my colleague Minerva McGonagall, have been dating secretly for the past…oh, I'd say it's been around four months now, wouldn't you say, Draco?"

"Yes," replied Draco through gritted teeth. "Dating…_secretly_…" He looked pointedly at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore waved his hand at Draco's comment. "Yes, you were dating secretly, but I'm afraid now that some others know – myself, Professor McGonagall, and now your mother. The reason I am even telling your mother is so that she doesn't tell anybody else."

"I beg your pardon?" asked Narcissa, looking at Dumbledore questioningly. "Why must I know about this? Quite frankly, I think I'd rather not; it's making me feel ill."

Dumbledore must have thought Narcissa was making a joke, for he chuckled. "I must admit, when I found out that they were dating, I was a little surprised myself. But anyhow," he said, still smiling, "Since you knew about their_ friendship, _and if you let mention of it slip when either of Ginny's family was around, then their _romantic _relationship would be in risk. So, Narcissa, I am telling you that they are dating, and I am telling you to keep it a secret, and to not mention that you know of any sort of relationship between Ginny and Draco. Am I understood?" Though it may seem like Dumbledore was asking for Narcissa's opinion on the subject, Draco knew that it was more of an order. The question was, how would his mother respond to it?

Draco looked at his mother. Her calm, cool face appeared to be going through an inner struggle. In the end, though, she nodded tensely. Once again, Draco sighed with relief, and an overwhelming urge to hug his mother overcame him. He controlled it, however, and focused on the fact that this meeting wasn't turning out to be so bad after all.

"Now that that part is in order," continued Dumbledore, "Draco, there is another matter concerning Ms. Weasley I must talk to you about. Both of you are living under one roof, and that may engender certain temptations, since you are both young and lively. However, I must ask you to resist those temptations and remain chaste while you are here. Do you understand my meaning?"

Draco felt his neck and face heat up, but he still looked Dumbledore in the eye. "Yes, Sir," he replied. "What you are saying is that you don't want me and Ginny to, uh…_you _know," he replied with a smirk, his eyebrows rising suggestively.

Narcissa made a sound that sounded halfway in between a cough and a gag. Looking over, Draco saw her staring at the ground in shock, and he resisted a smile.

"That is correct, Draco," Dumbledore said, smiling slightly.

"Is it that you don't trust me, Sir?" Draco asked, unable to hide a grin.

"Oh, no, Draco, that is not it at all," replied Dumbledore. "I trust you and your person completely. Rather, it is your hormones that I find a bit worrisome. You understand that I cannot have any promiscuous behavior under this roof."

"Right," Draco replied. "Is that all for this meeting?"

"No, actually," Dumbledore replied. "However, I ask you, Narcissa, to please leave us, for the rest of this meeting is private."

Without a moment's hesitation, Narcissa rose from her chair and turned toward the door. Before leaving, she turned back to her son. "Don't think, Draco, that this is over. We will discuss your _relationship_ with that Weasley girl later." With a curt nod at Dumbledore, Narcissa Malfoy left the room.

Sighing, Draco turned back to Dumbledore and muttered to himself, "That sounds promising."

"Don't be discouraged, Draco," Dumbledore mentioned. "I'm sure your mother will come around to things in due time."

Draco shrugged, but didn't say anything. "What else did you wish to speak to me about?"

"You'll recall at the meeting last night that I said that Harry and Ron would be going to search the old Gaunt house for that horcrux."

"Yeah, I remember."

"You'll also recall that I said I'd be sending another Order member with them."

"Yes…" Draco replied uncertainly.

"I want _you_ to go with them."

Draco shook his head. "As much as I am _honored_ to be considered to go with Potter and Weasley on such a mission, Sir," Draco said, choosing his words carefully, "I must…uh, most respectfully decline."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Ah, Draco, I do so admire your sarcastic humor. It will be needed in the days to come. However, this is not an invitation. It is more of a command."

"But Sir –"

"Draco," cut in Dumbledore, "before I brought you here, I told you that you would be able to help us. This is how, by accompanying Harry and Ron."

"By playing babysitter?" Draco asked, his voice rising. "Sir, when you said I'd be helping the Order, I didn't think you meant _that_."

"Draco, Harry is the future to our world. Searching for these horcruxes is something that he _must_ do," Dumbledore said seriously. "It is also necessary that his friend Ronald accompany him."

"Why?" Draco asked. "Last night you were trying to persuade them not to go."

"That was so that they _would_ go, Draco," Dumbledore pointed out. "This journey for Harry –not just searching the Gaunt house, but searching for all the horcruxes and trying to kill Voldemort– will not be easy. He will need support from those he cares about, and who better than his best friend?"

"So why send me also?" Draco asked. "In case you haven't noticed, Potter, Weasley, and I hate each other."

"Oh, that little detail hasn't escaped me," commented Dumbledore, his eyes shining. "I think I've picked up on that over the last seven years. Your purpose in going with them, Draco, is to keep them focused and to help them. Unfortunate as it may be, you have grown up in a house where it is not uncommon to hear of Voldemort, Death Eaters, or many other dark spells and objects. You have a certain knowledge that Harry and Ron don't, that several of even my best Aurors and Order members don't."

"What do you mean by that?" Draco asked slowly.

"Since you have lived with a Death Eater for your entire life, you have seen and heard things that others haven't, and in that way, you will be able to help Harry and Ron."

Draco sighed. "Is this absolutely necessary?" he asked.

"It is of the utmost importance," Dumbledore reassured him. "You must go with them."

Draco stared down at the floor. Accompany Harry and Ron? There were so many things that could go wrong with such an experience. However, Draco understood what Dumbledore meant; he could prove beneficial to the two boys. At what cost, though? Surely there would be fights along the way. Was that part of Dumbledore's plan? And what about Ginny? If Draco did this, it was all for Ginny, for his mother, for everybody he cared about. It brought him one step closer to the freedom that he so desperately needed if he ever wanted a normal life. That cause, no matter what baggage it claimed, was worth putting up with a little Potter and Weasley.

"Fine," sighed Draco. "I'll do it."

"Wonderful," beamed Dumbledore. "There's no use going over details now, as you won't be leaving for at least a week. I need to make a few more plans, tell Harry and Ron that you will be going with them…"

"Won't they be pleased to hear that," remarked Draco, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sure they'll put up with it. Now, Draco," said Dumbledore, taking a breath, "before you leave, there is one last matter that I must discuss with you."

"And that would be what?" Draco asked.

Dumbledore was quiet for a moment, staring at his desk, before he looked back up at Draco. "I would like to speak to you of something that happened last Christmas."

Draco's heart seemed to jump into his throat. Draco knew what had happened last Christmas; he couldn't possibly forget it. One of his darkest hours…

"Wh-what about last Christmas?" he asked, though deep in his heart, he understood that Dumbledore already knew what had happened.

Taking a deep breath, Dumbledore said, "Draco, I would like to discuss with you the matter of a boy, a boy named Aidan Grant…"

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**A/N:** Hopefully you guys still remember who Aidan Grant is…or was…whatever. If not, just think a little bit, and it'll come back to you. It was one of my favorite chapters. If you still can't remember, review and tell me so, and I'll point you in the direction of the right chapter in the last story so you can refresh your memory.

Lauren


	4. Interim

This chapter is short, I know, and I hadn't intended to update today. I had a bunch of other stuff to go in this chapter, but if I had put it all in without breaking up the scenes, then it would be really long. Plus, I figured you guys would like to have an update before another couple of weeks go by, like last time. Thanks so much for all of your reviews! You guys rock.

Disclaimer: I own the Harry Potter books. Wait, let me rephrase that. I own the Harry Potter books. That still doesn't sound right, does it? Well, let me try again. I own the Harry Potter books. Clarification: I didn't _write _the Harry Potter books, but I do _own_ a copy of them.

**Chapter 4: Interim**

_I would like to discuss with you the matter of a boy, a boy named Aidan Grant…_

Draco froze, his insides reeling. He swallowed and forced himself to look up at Dumbledore, forced a calm look onto his face. But one glance at Dumbledore and Draco's eyes darted away, looking anywhere but at the calm, perceptive way in which Dumbledore was watching him.

_He knows,_ Draco thought wildly. _He knows. I can see it in his eyes._

"Draco, look at me," Dumbledore said softly.

Draco didn't change his gaze, but continued staring at the floor. If he looked up, there was no way Dumbledore wouldn't see his fear.

"I just want to talk to you about him," continued Dumbledore. "And we can't have a conversation if you are currently giving your attention to the floor."

Sighing, Draco slowly raised his face, his eyes landing on Dumbledore reluctantly. Instead of the accusation or anger he had expected to see surfacing, Draco saw that Dumbledore was still merely quiet. Not confused or sad or curious, but quiet. Calm. Understanding. That didn't stop Draco from wanting to jump out of a window, though. Anywhere else would be better than here, than wherever this conversation might lead.

"I'm not going to accuse you, Draco, nor am I going to toss you into prison, so you can stop looking so worried." Dumbledore smiled at Draco softly. "I just want to talk to you."

"_Leave him," came a hard voice from behind Draco. Draco whipped around and saw Lord Voldemort standing at the top of the stairs. "He is Draco's. Let him be."_

Wincing at the memory, Draco asked harshly, "What's there to talk about?" He cleared his throat, looking away uncomfortably.

"Well," stated Dumbledore, "I know that you did not want to do what you did. Am I correct?"

Draco nodded his head stiffly, still staring at the wall. How did Dumbledore find out? Draco had been positive that nobody else had been around the Grant house that night. So how did he know? And more importantly, what was he going to do with Draco?

"How do you even know about this?" Draco asked, half of him wanting an answer, the other half wishing there was no need for an answer.

"I had you followed," Dumbledore said simply. "Over Christmas."

"Why?" Draco asked. Anger was starting to build in him. So Dumbledore hadn't trusted him from the beginning?

"I knew," said Dumbledore, "that you would play a large part in the war. Your father is Voldemort's right-hand man, and you are his son. That makes you somewhat special. The only thing is, I didn't know whose side you would be on, and I was doing all I could to find out."

"So you had me followed?" Draco asked incredulously. "How long has that been going on?"

"That was the one and only time I had you followed, Draco," Dumbledore answered. "I began to consider seriously last summer the possibility that you were not like your father. Your actions at school last year only gave me hope. I knew that Lucius had been visiting you in the castle, as I have told you, and I knew something was up. I couldn't risk you being alone with him, out of my supervision, for so long."

"So you tagged along after me all over Christmas? You watched everything?"

Dumbledore hesitated before he spoke. "Not I, myself. Someone else went."

Stiffening, his eyes widening, Draco stared at Dumbledore. "Somebody else knows about this?" he asked hoarsely. His mouth had gone dry. "Who?"

"Severus Snape," Dumbledore said. "If anyone was to understand your situation, it would be him. If anyone were to be caught, he would have the greatest chance of surviving, given his position. If you were to one day find out that I had you followed, I had hoped that Severus would be the one person you'd accept. He will not tell anybody, Draco. He himself has secrets, has things he is ashamed of. He will not judge you."

Draco was silent, many emotions running through him. The fact that there was someone else out there who knew what he had done was disconcerting. However, Dumbledore was right about one thing. If Draco could have picked one person to see what Draco had done, it would have been Severus Snape. Over the years at Hogwarts, Snape had been the one professor that Draco liked, that he felt understood him. Relief, mixed with anger at Dumbledore's having him followed, twisted Draco's tongue, forced him to remain silent.

"_You heard the Master," Lucius said quietly. "Go. Kill the boy."_

"How I make sense of what you did," Dumbledore stated slowly, "is that sometimes we do things that are neither honorable nor wise." His eyes creased in thought. "We do them…we do them because we feel we have no choice."

Draco's eyes slowly traveled once more to the floor as he listened to the man speak.

"When we feel we have no choice or say in the matter at hand, we forsake our basic human right of making our own decisions. By staying silent, we give up our voice, and with it, our freedom." Dumbledore glanced at Draco, saw the steely sorrow on the young man's face. "Part of what separates us from the Death Eaters, Draco," he continued, pushing his glasses back up his nose, "is that we, the Order, keep that voice. It is true that some Death Eaters _choose_ to follow Voldemort, but once they hold out their arm, they also hold out their soul. Once they become branded and follow him, they no longer make their own decisions, even though Voldemort would sometimes have them believe that. Voldemort lets none of his followers make their own decision, Draco. He controls them all. And that…that is what separates us."

_Draco raised his left hand to his face, blocking the rain from his sight. Lighting again touched down, this time not far from the house. The thunder cracked the sky and Draco felt the vibration deep within his chest. He raised his wand high._

Draco swallowed the lump in his throat and forced himself to look back up at Dumbledore, was surprised to feel tears pooling in his eyes. "I didn't want to do it," Draco whispered. "I didn't want to, but he was there, and my father was there, and I couldn't…I couldn't – I-I couldn't stand up to them."

His face contorting with the regret and sorrow, Draco shook his head. "I just – I just stood there, let them take me there to that house. And when they told me what I had to do, when he asked me if I was a coward, I told him that I wasn't." Draco shook his head again, staring at Dumbledore's desk blindly through the tears he refused to release. "I said, 'I'm no coward,' but now that I think about it, fear was what made me do it in the first place." He swallowed thickly. "It was because I was too scared to stand up to them, both of them, that I let them push me into it."

"_Kill him!" shouted Lucius angrily. "Do it!"_

_Draco could hardly hear his father over the roaring of the wind and rain, which Draco noticed was slowly turning to ice with the drop in temperature, but he was able to hear clear enough. One look back at the boy told him what he had to do._

"_Forgive me," whispered Draco, his lip trembling and tears forming in his eyes. "Forgive me."_

"_Avada Kedavara!"_

Draco blinked as he looked up, ignoring the tear that escaped his eyes. "So I guess I'm no better than the Death Eaters. I let them make my decision."

Dumbledore watched Draco silently for a moment, his face contemplative. He slowly began to speak. "Draco, from what I understand, what you went through that night was a test. It wasn't a creditable or innocent test on their part," he sighed. "Its purpose was for Voldemort to see if you truly wanted to join him, to serve him. He wanted to see how well prepared you were to fight and kill innocent people just for the sake of it. However, he underestimated you."

Draco looked up, hardly daring to believe Dumbledore.

"Voldemort assumed you possessed the hate that is in your father's heart. He was wrong," Dumbledore said quietly. "You have no more hate in your heart than any other man, Draco. Men hate any number of things, and you just so happen to hate Voldemort and your father. For your entire life, you may have felt that hate, but that night made you _fully _aware of it for the first time."

_Draco felt like the life was being sucked out of him. His breath came in short, desperate gasps, trying to get back something precious he had just lost. Draco looked to his father and saw, for once in his life, what might have been pride. Lucius opened his mouth to say something and he placed his hand on Draco's shoulder, but Draco jerked away as if he'd been burned. His eyes traveled to his father's face, to Voldemort's, and then back to his hands_

_His wand._

_Draco stared at his quivering hands, at the wand he held in them. With a revolting feeling, he tried to let go of his wand, to drop it and leave it behind, but his hands didn't seem to want to move. They were clenched around his wand in a death grip. Draco tried to loosen them, but it seemed his hands had made up their mind to keep his wand. _

"Don't misunderstand me, Draco," Dumbledore said. "I am not approving or commending your actions, merely rationalizing them," he sighed, "finding what good did come of them."

Draco snorted harshly. "No good came of what I did."

Slowly, Dumbledore nodded, his eyes full of sadness. "That statement, Draco, is a testament that good did come. You realized just what exactly your father did, who he was, and you realized that you didn't want to be that man. It was the catalyst that caused you to revolt against him completely, and it is what led you to where you are today."

Draco shrugged halfheartedly, knowing that what Dumbledore spoke was true. If it hadn't been for that night, Draco might have continued obeying his father, might have never gathered the courage to save his mother, might never have joined the Order. The knowledge that taking another human's life was the thing to bring him to that realization was sickening, however, and Draco wished that as a child he hadn't been so blind to his father's evil ways, that he had decided to challenge his father earlier in his life.

"So what do I do now?" Draco asked.

Dumbledore sighed. "You can never take back what you did, but you can acknowledge the sacrifice Aidan and his family made for you, and you can take advantage of that. But first, you have to forgive yourself."

"How can I forgive myself?" Draco inquired angrily. "I killed him! I didn't stop Voldemort or my father! I just stood there while he killed a man, a woman, and a little girl, and when they told me to kill the boy, I did it! There's no forgiveness for that…"

"You're wrong, Draco," Dumbledore said, his own voice hinting at anger. "If you keep holding this inside yourself and keep hating yourself, you are only mocking what their deaths were for. Their deaths gave you freedom, not only from your father, but from yourself. Keeping this regret trapped inside will only bring that captivity back. It will start from the inside and work its way through you until you no longer even recognize yourself. If you are be your own man, you need to let it go," he finished softly.

"And how do I do that?" Draco asked sorrowfully, shaking his head. "I've tried ever since that night to let it go, but I can't. Do you think I liked seeing his eyes every time I closed mine? Seeing his light fade away? Seeing his body fall into the mud as I just stood over him? Killed him? How do I possibly let something like that go?"

"Go to him."

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, rubbing his eyes with weariness. "They're dead."

"Go to their graves. It is what you need to do if you wish to ever be free from this," Dumbledore said.

Draco was silent, shrugged helplessly. He didn't want to do what Dumbledore was asking him to do; as much as it shamed him to admit it, going to their graves frightened him. Seeing them again, even if it was just seeing the headstones above their bodies, would be too much.

"I can't…"

"Yes you can, Draco," Dumbledore said fiercely. "It is for your own sense of self. If you do not, you will hold this memory inside you forever and will let it influence you. Don't get me wrong; I don't want you to ever forget what you did. I just need you to put it behind you, learn from it, and move on."

"Why aren't you turning me in to Azkaban?" Draco changed the subject. "I killed someone. Doesn't that mean I go to prison?"

Dumbledore sighed heavily and was quiet for a long moment before he answered Draco. "The way I see it, when you killed Aidan, you were not thinking rationally. That does not excuse you, though it will give you some credit later on. Also, it will help that you did not kill him out of hate or revenge. Being pressured into it is not excusable either, though," he sighed again. "The situation is unfortunate, though their remains some hope. Turning yourself in now would accomplish nothing. Your father thinks you dead anyway, and revealing yourself would not be wise; not even the Azkaban prison would keep him or Voldemort from killing you if they wanted to badly enough. So to turn you in would be to kill you, and we certainly can't have that." Dumbledore attempted a weak smile, but it fell flat with another sigh. Draco himself just watched Dumbledore, finding nothing to smile about.

"There is a time to come clean, but now is not it," Dumbledore said. "For now, nobody other than myself and Professor Snape will know of this incident, unless you choose to tell somebody. After the war is over, and after Voldemort is defeated, then I hope that you will do the right thing. The Wizengamot will be much more sympathetic towards your situation if they know that you did not really wish to kill the boy. Stating that would get you nowhere now; they would think you simply wished to get out of Azkaban. But if they know that you have served the Order, helped to get rid of Voldemort, and turned yourself in to justice, they will see that you really are a fine man; and perhaps they will not stick to the usual life sentence in Azkaban for use of an Unforgivable Curse."

"So in other words," Draco sighed, "I just have to hope that they forgive me for using an…Unforgivable Curse. How ironic."

Dumbledore laughed. "Seeing your humor return is a good sign. But I must insist that you go to see their graves."

The levity of the situation disappeared. Draco shook his head, but now on his face was a look of consideration. Nothing too bad could come of going to them, could it? Other than a renewed self-hate, all Draco would gain, according to Dumbledore, was a freedom that he needed to survive. And if that was the case, why not oblige an old man?

"Alright," Draco agreed, shaking his head. "What do I have to do?"

"It's simple, really," Dumbledore said. "They were buried in their yard; their graves are marked. As I understand, the muggles never found out the cause of death, so all who were involved in the case were obliviated. Therefore, there should be no resistance to your visiting their home."

"And how do I get there?" Draco asked. "I could Apparate, but –"

"About that," cut in Dumbledore, "I would prefer for you to go naturally. That is, without magic."

"Why?"

"You killed a muggle. I think that you should travel to see them their way, the muggle way. It…is fitting."

Draco was silent for a moment, letting the thought sink in; then he nodded. "Fine." What did it matter if he traveled without magic? What were a few extra hours? "When do I leave?"

"As soon as possible," answered Dumbledore. "Actually, your train leaves in a little over an hour, so we must hurry." He stood from his chair.

Draco, his nerves leaping at the prospect of going so soon, stood as well. "What happened to me not being allowed out of this place?"

"That would have been changing soon, anyway," Dumbledore said, "if you are to be joining Harry and Ron on their search. Now will be as good a time as any to get reacquainted with the sights and sounds of the outdoors. However, since you will be traveling in plain sight of everybody, I will disguise you slightly, just enough so that you won't be recognized."

Dumbledore moved from around the desk and pulled out his wand. After murmuring a few words, he smiled at Draco, apparently satisfied. Draco didn't feel any different. "There," Dumbledore sighed. "I think you'll now find yourself adequately anonymous."

Draco looked around for a mirror but found none. "What's different?" he asked, feeling his hair and face; it all felt normal.

"Oh, not much," Dumbledore said, looking over Draco. "Your hair has darkened, your eyes have turned blue, and your face has gained some more color, but it will all wear off when you set foot back inside this house. And now, Draco," he said, motioning towards the door, "you are free to leave Grimauld Place. Here are your train ticket, directions to the train station, information on your train route, and directions on how to get to the Grant house."

Dumbledore opened the door and Draco stepped into the hallway. "But Sir," Draco began, hesitating. "What – what do I do, exactly?"

"Whatever feels natural," Dumbledore replied, his eyes revealing the empathy he tried to keep from his voice. "You may come back using any means you wish since it is the journey there that matters most."

Draco nodded, started to turn away.

"And Draco," Dumbledore called after him. Draco turned.

"Yes?"

"Take this time as an opportunity to dwell on what you did," Dumbledore said, his face serious. "I do not believe that you will succumb to evil again, but learn from your mistake. Live for this day and what you may bring to it, and always hope for tomorrow. No matter what you've done in your life that you are ashamed of, know that there are people here who care about you."

Draco nodded slowly. "Yes, Sir," he said, his voice soft. He took his time turning around, let each step fall gently as he walked through the hallway.

Dumbledore watched him go, his heart aching for the young man. So much had happened in Draco's life; there was so much pain that could have been avoided. And yet Dumbledore knew that Draco would not be the man he was today if it had not been for his childhood. Harsh times would come for them all, and it was not the first time Dumbledore would wish that he could go back in time, go back so that maybe the future wouldn't appear so bleak.

Sighing, he turned around to head back into his office, only to see Minerva McGonagall walking towards him.

"Good afternoon, Minerva," he smiled at her.

"Hello, Albus," McGonagall replied. "Was that Draco Malfoy I saw turning the corner just now?"

"It was," Dumbledore acknowledged, glancing over his shoulder where Draco had disappeared.

"So I take it you talked to him about joining Potter and Weasley on their search, then?"

"Yes, I did."

"Do you really think it wise, Albus?" McGonagall asked with a frown. "Those boys have been at each other's throats for seven years. Surely sending them out on such an important mission unsupervised will only end in disaster, won't it?"

"Minerva," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling, "I think you underestimate Mr. Malfoy. He has changed since we knew him in school, and it is for the better. This shall be a bonding experience for the three of them, and even if they never come to like each other, they will respect each other."

"Well," McGonagall said, shrugging her shoulders, "I suppose you know best. I just hope that they'll all make it back in one piece."

"I have little doubt that they will, Minerva."

"Well then, if you are done with that meeting," she continued, "I came to remind you that we are due back at Hogwarts to meet with the new Defense teacher."

"Oh, I had not forgotten about that," Dumbledore smiled. "I'm curious to meet this new one."

"Do you think this one will last longer than the others?" McGonagall asked hopefully as she and Dumbledore walked down the hallway.

Dumbledore smiled to himself. "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

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**A/N:** The italicized sentences (minus the one at the very beginning of the chapter) were all from _This Is Who You Are_ in the scene where Draco killed Aidan, just in case you were wondering what those were. Anyhow, I'm sorry for such a boring chapter. This one didn't even mention Ginny's name, I don't think. If all goes according to my little schedule, you should see her in the next chapter. Thanks for putting up with this one. Remember to review!

Lauren


	5. Under the Sun

My apologies for such a long wait. I was out of town for a while and I didn't get to take my computer along and write as I had planned. And when I got back I just couldn't bring myself to write. But then I finished reading an absolutely fantastic book and then I couldn't _stop_ myself from writing! The book is seriously one of the best I've ever read (and I read _a lot_) so I'm putting a recommendation for it at the end of the chapter.

Disclaimer: This is not mine, my own, or my precious. Hmm, wrong fantasy story.

**Chapter 5: Under the Sun**

An hour and a half after he stepped outside of Grimauld Place and began walking towards King's Cross Station, Draco was sitting in a compartment he had been lucky to have to himself; the train station was more crowded than Draco had ever remembered it being. Also, this was the first time Draco had actually traveled via the muggle trains instead of the Hogwarts Express, and though the presence of so many muggles was a bit overwhelming, once Draco was in the seclusion of his compartment, he felt more at ease.

Draco sighed and closed his eyes, relishing the cool air rushing through the train; walking over a mile to the station under the sweltering July sun was tiring. Though Draco was used to physical training, being so suddenly exposed to nature after being cooped up inside for nearly two months was an intense re-acquaintance he hadn't been prepared for.

With another sigh, one Draco understood to be a way of calming the nerves squirming in the pit of his stomach, Draco patted his pocket where he had concealed his wand. Draco had no plans of using it, for he had taken Dumbledore's words to heart, but traveling without it would be idiotic considering the number of people who would love to hurt him.

Draco, suddenly acutely aware that the sun shining through the window onto his back was causing him a headache, turned around and pulled shut the shade. Now resting in the more comfortable compartment, his eyes closed, Draco was almost lulled to sleep, but the sound of scuffling feet outside the door had him sitting upright and alert immediately, his hand hovering over the pocket containing his wand.

When the door slid open, Draco looked up to see a middle-aged man shield his eyes against the relative darkness of the compartment and glance about, apparently failing to see Draco. Assuming the compartment empty, the man shut the door and sat down across from Draco.

"Can I help you?" Draco asked, unable to keep the sneer from his voice.

Immediately the man shot out of his seat and stared at Draco. He squinted, trying to get a better look at Draco, and Draco, likewise wanting a better look of the other man, stood and slammed open the window shade; both men blinked at the sudden light that permeated the compartment.

"I'm sorry," the man said. "I didn't know anybody was in here. However, all of the other compartments are stuffed, so here is where I stay."

Draco and the man stared at each other for a few seconds as if sizing each other up, and when Draco gave a curt nod, they both sat down across from each other in unison. Draco saw that the man wasn't too old, possibly in his mid-forties; Draco was sure he detected a gray or two in the man's short brown hair.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the man said, holding out a hand. "My name is Grayson Dixon. And you are?"

"Tired," Draco replied; he ignored Grayson's outstretched hand, shifting his position to allow his legs to stretch out on the rest of the bench he sat on.

"Oh," Grayson murmured, pressing his lips together as he awkwardly retracted his hand and settled it in his lap.

For a moment, the two were silent, and Draco hoped that an end to their conversation was at hand. However, apparently unable to control himself, a feature Draco found atypical in a man of his age, Grayson blurted, "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm on my way to an interview for a new job, and I'm rather nervous."

"Hmm," Draco sighed. He glanced sideways at Grayson, who was looking back at Draco with wide eyes, awaiting some sort of response. "That's interesting," Draco said.

"Yes, I have always thought that the process of selecting a new job was rather fascinating. However, it's also rather intimidating – hence my nervousness– and so I don't quite know whether to be excited or not," Grayson spoke quickly, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Actually, I suppose I can be excited, because there are two kinds of excitement, you know. There's the kind where you are excited because you are anxious, and then there's the kind where you are excited because you are so…so…excited for something to happen!" He frowned, and then said, "Er…eager! Yes, eager is a better word. So, by saying that I'm excited, I could either be excited-anxious, or excited-eager. So if someone asked me how I was feeling right now, I could just reply that I'm 'excited,' and that would pretty much some up how I really do feel – anxious, yet terribly eager."

"Huh," said Draco, not quite sure what to make of this man.

"Oh, I'm doing it again, aren't I?" Grayson asked, biting his lip. "I'm talking too much. I'm sorry. I just happen to talk a lot when I'm nervous. I'll be quite now. I promise." The man drew his thumb and forefinger across his sealed lips, and then tossed his hand over his shoulder, mimicking the disposal of a key. He then beamed at Draco.

For the rest of the train ride, Draco tried to ignore the way Grayson stared at him with that same goofy grin on his face. But although the man continued to smile, he did remain quiet, and Draco decided he'd rather have the smile instead of the incessant chatter.

When the train pulled to a stop in a station in Kent, Draco stood, eager to be rid of this man's unnerving company. As Draco slid the door open, he said, "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Mason."

"Grayson," the man corrected him.

"Right," Draco replied. "Good luck with that job interview."

"Why thank you, err – uh…I didn't get your name."

"I didn't give it to you," Draco replied, a smile of his own on his face. And leaving Grayson to sit by himself, Draco closed the compartment door and made his way out of the train station and into the blistering sunlight. Draco blinked a few times as he tried to gain his bearings, and then he pulled out the directions Dumbledore had given him. According to the little map that Dumbledore had drawn, Draco was to walk for roughly two miles until he was out of town, and then he had another five mile walk until he reached the Grant house. Draco glanced up at the sky; the sun was still high, but soon it would be going down. If Draco wanted to reach his destination and still have daylight, he'd have to walk quickly.

Acutely aware that he was deep in muggle territory, Draco pocketed his directions and walked down the streets, cars and buses whizzing past him as if he too were an ordinary person. People passed Draco on his left and right, not bothering to give him a second glance. Draco had half expected everyone to stop and stare at him, shout, "You're a wizard!" But they ignored him, kept walking, continued with their own journeys.

A half hour later and the town of Plaxtol had disappeared, leaving Draco walking down an old, chipped road that weaved through a field. The sun was unbearable, and the perspiration sprinkling Draco's forehead was only a testament to that fact. Despite the heat, though, Draco couldn't help but notice how beautiful the country was. The sky was bright with wispy, marshmallow-like clouds dotting the horizon, and the rich fields were rolling with hills that led back to lush forests. It was the kind of place Draco could see himself living in peacefully. Indeed, Draco couldn't understand why anybody wouldn't want to live here. It seemed so simple, yet so simply elegant at the same time.

Almost an hour later, Draco could tell that the sun was starting slowly to descend, and though Draco didn't want to still be out here by nightfall, he couldn't bring himself to walk much faster and waste his view of the beautiful scenery. But to his relief, the sky was still bright when Draco's feet scraped to a stop along the road. He looked to his left and saw, resting at the end of a dirt road, a house. Draco stared at it for a few moments, and then his eyes traveled to a shed that lay close to the house. A roaring sound filled Draco's ears as he stared at the shed, at the ground where Aidan Grant had lain, had taken his final breaths.

Draco sighed, suppressed a shudder, and slowly started walking down the dirt lane. The last time he had walked over this ground, the day had been as dark as the deed he'd been sent to accomplish. Now, however, the sky was clear save for the few clouds. There was almost a complete contrast in every aspect of Draco's current visit – the weather, the reason for his visit, his company, and even the nature of the people he'd gone to see.

When Draco reached the house, he slowed down and gazed at it. All of the windows had been boarded shut, and when Draco twisted the door knob on the front door, he found it locked. Draco stepped back, his eyes inert in his regret. Slowly, he turned and walked over to the shed. Imitating the movements of that fateful night, Draco stopped in the front and ran his fingers over the chain keeping the doors shut. He listlessly walked around the side and stared at the spot where he had first discovered Aidan hiding, crouched low to the ground.

Almost as if his body was moving on its own, Draco walked around the other corners until he was back in front of the shed. He sighed and stared once more at the ground, remembering the way Aidan had looked up at him pleadingly, fearfully. Draco remembered how the rain had poured down on the two of them the night, equalizing them in that one small way. Draco ran his tongue over his dry lips and swallowed, for once allowing into his mind without opposition the image of Aidan's terrified face frozen as the death curse hit him, as he fell back into the grass, as Draco stared down at his dead body.

Draco shook his head as if trying to shake away the images. After a moment, he gave the ground around the shed one more glance before he walked back to the house, this time continuing on to the back.

When he saw what lay in the backyard, tears immediately sprang to Draco's eyes, though when he blinked, they disappeared. Four gravestones were lying next to each other. The one on the left was the largest, and each stone to its right was just a bit smaller than the one beside it. For a moment, Draco couldn't bring himself to walk any closer to them without feeling as if he were intruding on them; he had interrupted their life, why should he bother them in death? But then he heard Dumbledore's voice in his mind…_If you keep holding this inside yourself and keep hating yourself, you are only mocking what their deaths were for. Their deaths gave you freedom, not only from your father, but from yourself. Keeping this regret trapped inside will only bring that captivity back._

Taking a deep breath, Draco put one foot in front of another until he was standing in front of the largest stone, and he read the few words etched there, _Here lies Wesley Grant. Born 1960. Died 1997. _Draco tried to picture what this man had been like in his life. Draco had only seen the man in his death, but what had he been like in life? Draco closed his eyes and saw a tall, strong man with a kind smile. Not knowing or caring where this image came from, Draco's heart softened. He could see the man walking in the front door of his house, could see his two young kids barrel towards him with shrieks of glee, could see him double over as they knocked the air out of him with their hugs. Then Draco saw him gaze lovingly at his wife, lean over and kiss her tenderly even while the kids still clung to him.

Draco opened his eyes, now not caring that there were tears in them. What would it have been like to grow up with a family like that? What would it have been like to know love like that? And what would it have been like to have it all ripped away by some strangers on a stormy Christmas day?

Taking a deep breath, Draco moved to the right, to the next grave. It said, _Here lies Adelaide Grant. Born 1962. Died 1997. _Draco had not seen Adelaide at all, not even after Voldemort had viciously killed her and her daughter; but he wondered what she had been like, and he immediately knew that she had been warm, loving. He could see her as a young bride, walking joyously down the aisle with her husband, her eyes shining with the promise of a bright future. He could see her holding her newborn son, her eyes now shimmering with tears of wonder. Draco could see her glance up with a smile at her husband, saw her lean down and kiss her son on the cheek. Then Draco saw her, perhaps a little older yet still as beautiful, kneeling down before a young boy, a bundle of newborn joy in her arms.

Draco sniffed back the tears that were threatening to spill down his cheeks. Again he wondered what having that kind of life would have been like. His own family had been so cruel, so heartless, and this one had been filled with love from beginning to end. Though Draco knew now that his mother had loved him all along, to have grown up aware of that love must be something completely different. To know that someone loved you more than life – that was something special, something not even death could erase.

Now Draco moved on to the next grave, the one he had been dreading the whole time. His heart gave a _whump_ as he saw that this one was a bit smaller than the others. It said, _Here lies Aidan Grant. Born 1988. Died 1997._ Draco swallowed past the painful lump in his throat, stared through the tears blurring his sight. This person Draco had no trouble picturing, for Draco had stared at him good and long. Indeed, Draco had been unable to get rid of the image of his piercing blue eyes for months afterward. However, for the first time, Draco didn't picture Aidan at his death, but as he must have been in his life. He saw a young boy with scruffy blond hair sitting at a table, cookie crumbs all over his face, covering his delighted grin. Then the boy was a little older, this time running barefoot through the grass. His fist knotted around a clump of purple and orange wildflowers and yanked them, roots and all, out of the ground. The face of his mother appeared over his shoulder, and spinning around, Aidan held the flowers up proudly. His mother gazed at him lovingly before leaning down and smelling the flowers. Then with a smile, she took the flowers in one hand, Aidan's hand in her other, and together they walked back to the house, their joined hands swinging back and forth.

This time, Draco didn't bother holding back his tears. His knees buckled as he sagged to the ground, staring at young Aidan's headstone. No memories in Draco's childhood could even compare to what he had just seen between Aidan and his mother. What must that kind of life had been like, to have been able to pick flowers and hand them to the most important woman in your life? Draco knew that if he had ever dared to pick flowers, no matter his age, his father would have whipped him and shut him in his room with no food for a day. His father would have called picking flowers weak, but Draco could see that it didn't build weakness, but confidence, tenderness, and thoughtfulness. Draco had few of those traits, something he couldn't help but envy Aidan of; and even now, Draco couldn't help but feel that Aidan's nine years had been more full of love and laughter than Draco's eighteen years. Draco couldn't help but admire the boy – Aidan hadn't sat by and accepted his fate that Christmas day, as Draco had, but had tried to fight it, had tried to escape even when he must have known that escape was impossible. But if Draco could learn anything from Aidan's life and death, it was that nothing was impossible. Even though Aidan along with the rest of his family had died, Draco understood that they had won.

Wiping a tear off his cheek, Draco looked to the last grave, the smallest of all. It said, _Here lies Sara Grant. Born 1995. Died 1997._ Draco closed his eyes as sorrow washed over him. Two years. What must it have been like to live for only two years? Did someone even have memories when they were two years old? Did they even know what love was? Had Sara been aware of how magnificently lucky she had been? Draco wasn't sure that she had been, but she most definitely had been able to comprehend love, at least comprehend it on her own terms. He could see Sara the day her parents brought her home. He could see the pink little body, her fingers curled into a tiny fist, her beautiful brown eyes closed as a yawn escaped her mouth. Even as she got older, took her first steps, love had surrounded Sara. Love came from her father as he held her lovingly in his arms, love came from her mother when she was tucked into bed each night, and love came from her brother, who didn't hesitate to give her a kiss when he thought nobody was watching.

Even in death, Sara's life had held love. Her mother had begged Voldemort not to kill Sara; Draco could still hear her sobbing, pleading with Voldemort for mercy. But even at the time of her death, Sara had been sheltered by her mother's love; she had died in her mother's arms, probably exactly where she would have wanted to be. Draco knew that he couldn't relate to Sara. Draco's life, up until now, had been devoid of any sort of love, most of all the motherly kind. To have gone through what Sara had, to have been born and died as she had, could never be experienced by Draco. He tried to imagine the kind of woman she would have grown into, probably one just like her mother. Draco wept for the woman she'd never be, for the life Draco had helped take from her. Though Draco had never laid eyes on her, he felt her presence.

And wept.

Draco didn't know exactly when the tears started to pour, but he recalled himself still kneeling in front of Aidan Grant's grave, his back hunched over as his hands cradled his face. He could feel himself shaking, felt the sobs rip through him in a way he had never let them. Never before had he allowed himself to openly cry like this, to feel no reserves, no embarrassment, no shame. For what shame was there left for someone who had killed? Whatever shame Draco had left, he let it flow out of him with his tears, let it fall into the ground to rest with the young boy who had taught Draco so much, in so little a time, at so high a price.

When Draco was finished, he looked up, his head and heart heavy. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He cleared his throat and said more loudly, "I'm sorry." He stared at Aidan's name, trying to find the word's to express his sorrow better. "I – I don't know…" he said. "If I could take back what I did, I would. You know I would." A shaky sigh fell through Draco. "I'm sorry for what I did, and I'm sorry for what you lost. Even though you never knew my kind, I knew yours, and I can't say that I was very nice to them. And we were certainly different from each other." Draco blinked slowly. "You were richer than I was, you know. All of you were. I never had half the things you had. All I knew was the power of money, rank, and blood. But I never knew the power of love or family, tenderness, compassion, acceptance, or of…forgiveness."

Draco sighed and bowed his head. It was a long time before he raised it again. "I need you to forgive me. I know what I ask of you is hard, and you may not want to forgive me, but I _need_ you to," he said desperately. Earlier, Draco hadn't understood what Dumbledore had meant about letting this go, about letting them go, but now he thought he did understand. Until Draco was released from the remorse and regret he felt, he'd always be a prisoner. "Please," Draco said. "I – I just…need this…and I need you…forgiveness…I – I need forgiveness," he said, staring blindly through the tears that had reappeared.

As Draco lowered his head again, he felt the weight that had for six months been clamped around his heart loosen and lift away altogether. Looking back up at Aidan's name, Draco suddenly knew in his heart that he had been forgiven. He smiled and though his voice seemed to have deserted him, he mouthed, "Thank you." As he glanced at the fields of peace surrounding him, Draco could practically see his burden soaring through the air, twirling and spiraling up and down, skimming across the tops of the long grass, and then up, up, up, into the sky and towards the sun, never to be carried again.

Draco patted the top of Aidan's gravestone and stood, his knees and back cracking in protest. As he stared at the sky, he realized how much time had passed; the sun was now close to the ground and the sky was a hue of orange, gold, and pink, the clouds casting shadows over the ground. A sad smile crept across Draco's face as he imagined them standing up there – Wesley Grant, his arm around Adelaide's shoulder as she held little Sara, and in front of them stood Aidan, his mother's arm on one shoulder, his father's on another.

Draco lifted his arm in a final farewell before, with the familiar crack of Apparition, he disappeared.

* * *

Two days later found Ginny sitting on Hermione's bed trying to calm her friend's nerves. Hermione, in Ginny's opinion, had finally cracked it. She had been rummaging through her closet for nearly twenty minutes trying to find something to wear to go meet Ewan.

"Hermione, if he really loves you, he won't care if you're wearing a bloody potato sack," Ginny said, torn between amusement and annoyance at Hermione's actions.

"Well bloody potato sack or not, I'd like at least look nice for him. It's been almost two months since I've seen him!" Hermione cried, snatching a blue shirt out of Ginny's hands. "And I never said that I love him. We haven't quite gotten there yet."

"Say what you want," Ginny said, shrugging her shoulders, "but you've never, and I mean _never,_ gotten so worked up over any ordinary guy before. This has got to be more than just some infatuation."

"Well correct me if I'm wrong," Hermione said slowly, "but wasn't it you who was infatuated with Harry for about…six years?"

Ginny scoffed. "That was different. That was…."

"Love?"

"No," Ginny replied irritably. "Long-term infatuation of a most prodigious nature. Mm-hmm."

"And you are good and over Harry now, right?" Hermione asked seriously.

"No worries, Hermione. I am one-hundred percent out of that wood. In fact, I've torn the map up, burnt it to ashes, and tossed it into the sea."

"Whoa," Hermione said, raising her eyebrows. "Barely a year ago I seem to remember having to console you when you were in tears because you accidentally let it slip right to Harry's face that you've always liked him and that you wanted him to ask you out. Remember that one?"

"Only too clearly," Ginny muttered. "But if it wasn't for that stupid little curse that Malfoy put on me and Ron, I never would have said that."

"Yeah, so it's all Malfoy's fault, right?"

"Since when is it not?" Ginny replied evilly, grinning. Hermione gave her an odd look. To Ginny, Hermione's raised eyebrows seemed to be appraising the seriousness of Ginny's statement. Ginny cleared her throat and looked at the pile of clothes that were on the bed. She picked up an orange and golden yellow sun dress and held it up. "I think you should wear this."

Hermione wrinkled her nose at the dress. "A dress? I never wear dresses unless it's for a dance or something. Besides, don't you think that's a bit too formal?"

"Hermione, it's like two hundred degrees outside. Everybody wears dresses!"

"You never do."

"Well, that's besides the point," continued Ginny. "The point is that you have this beautiful dress and I've never seen you wear it."

"My mum bought it for me last summer," Hermione said, pondering the dress.

"So wear it," Ginny exclaimed. "It brings out the color of your eyes. Besides, I'm sure if you wear it, Ewan won't be able to take his eyes off of you."

Hermione smiled at that comment, still gazing at the dress. She dropped the shirt she had been holding and reached for the dress, saying, "Well, I'll try it on, but I'm still not sure I'll wear it out. Harry and Ron would never let me hear the end of it if they knew I was actually going to wear this."

"Oh bugger what Harry and Ron say," Ginny said. "Just go try it on."

Half an hour later, Ginny, grinning with satisfaction, led the way down the stairs as an awkward and self-conscious Hermione followed behind, wearing the dress. It had taken a little bit more work, but Ginny had finally coaxed Hermione into wearing it. Ginny had even taken her only nice pair of sandals and altered the colors to match Hermione's dress. All in all, Ginny thought Hermione looked really nice. It seemed her opinion wasn't the only one along those lines, for when the two girls walked into the kitchen and Harry and Ron laid eyes on Hermione, Ron actually spit his pumpkin juice out; Ginny suppressed a smirk as Harry's and Ron's mouths fell open.

"Bloody hell, Hermione," Ron squeaked, "what is that?"

"Ronald, watch your language!" snapped Mrs. Weasley, who walked in from around the corner. When she saw Hermione, Mrs. Weasley beamed. "Hermione, dear, you look wonderful."

"Thanks," Hermione replied with a shy smile. As Mrs. Weasley walked back out of the room, Hermione glared at Ron. "Honestly, Ron, don't you know a dress when you see one?" She turned to Ginny and added, "Let's hope Ewan has a better reaction than that."

"Ewan?" Harry and Ron asked together, still dumbfounded about Hermione's appearance.

"You're not going out in public like that, are you?" Ron asked.

"And what if I am?" Hermione retorted.

"But – but you – I mean, that's a – and you – you are?" stuttered Ron. He looked at Harry bewilderingly.

"I am," said Hermione.

"She is," affirmed Ginny.

"Well bloody hell," sighed Ron, sinking lower in his seat. "Say, Harry, what happened to that little bookworm we befriended eight years ago? Remember her? About this tall, bushy brown hair, told me I had dirt on my nose?"

"I think she grew up," Harry replied slowly, staring at the table.

Ginny rolled her eyes at Hermione, who smiled and said, "Well I have to go. Dumbledore said he's meeting us in Diagon Alley."

"Alright," Ginny replied. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Hermione smiled before walking out of the kitchen, and Ginny knew she had left Grimmauld Place to Apparate.

"So, boys, what have you two been up to?" Ginny asked, taking seat across from Ron and Harry.

"Nothing much," said Ron, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice. "Dumbledore is coming by later. He said there's something he wants to discuss with me and Harry, probably something to do with the Order mission."

"What Order mission?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, Ron," hissed Harry angrily. "_What_ Order mission?"

Ginny didn't miss the guilty look spreading across Ron's face or the way Harry was staring at him. "Look, you two, I don't care if you keep secrets from me or not. I have other ways of finding out what I want to know."

"Fred and George haven't been giving you any more of those Extendable Ears, have they?" Ron asked.

"No, dearest Ronny-kins," Ginny replied with a grin. "No need to worry about those again. I already found out all of your deepest, darkest secrets over the summer. What was it I heard you murmuring in your sleep? I seem to remember hearing something about centaurs, spiders, Viktor Krum, and…oh yes. There was also that little bit about you proclaiming your undying love, adoration, and infatuation for none other than Luna Lovegood."

This time Harry spit out his pumpkin juice. "You what?" he asked incredulously. And then the laughter started. As Ron blushed crimson, Harry doubled over in his seat. "You love Luna?"

"No I don't!" exclaimed Ron. "That was just a dream! I didn't mean any of it. Are you telling me all that you ever dreamed of was true?"

"No," said Harry slowly, his laughter subsiding, "but that's one crazy thing to dream about."

"You're telling me," Ron said, horrified. "She really creeps me out, you know. And for days afterward I couldn't get her dreamy little voice out of my head. She kept saying, 'Oh Ron, I had no idea you felt that way about me. Now Daddy can announce our engagement in the Quibbler and we can start planning our Northern Belly-Jumping Raccoon honeymoon cruise.' I mean, my goodness," Ron said, his voice returning to normal, "talk about nightmares."

Ginny snorted and shook her head. The whole experience had been rather hilarious in her opinion.

"Well whatever you dream about," Harry continued, "You should see if you can get some more of those Ears from your brothers. We could really use them to see what Malfoy is up to now."

"Up to?" Ginny asked. "What's he up to?"

"We don't know for sure he's up to something," Ron said. "It's just that Harry saw him walking out of Grimmauld place a few days ago, and he looked really weird. Like, his hair and all was different."

"Different how?" Ginny asked. She hadn't seen Draco since lunch the other day, but he had looked normal to her.

"I don't know, it was darker," Harry replied. "And then he walked out. Ron and I kept watch for the rest of the day and he came back like six hours later."

"Huh," said Ginny. "Well, he was probably doing something for Dumbledore."

Harry and Ron exchanged looks as if they had expected her to say that. Ginny felt her temper flare. "What?" she asked. "You can't just go judging people by their actions. Sometimes they have another reason for doing things. You know that better than most people, Harry," Ginny said angrily. Then, before either of them could reply, Ginny got up and left the kitchen.

She couldn't explain it, but tears had unexpectedly formed in her eyes. Blinking them back, Ginny stomped upstairs to her room. Harry knew how it felt to be judged. So many people thought he was just craving attention by all the stunts he had performed at school over the years, but Ginny knew he was just trying to help people. Honestly, he and Ron could be so hypocritical at times.

But Ginny still didn't know where her ephemeral tears had come from. Was it because of the way Harry and Ron were so quick to judge Draco? Or could it have been because Draco hadn't told her about where he had gone?

Either way, Ginny forced herself to calm down. She knew Draco would never do anything foolhardy and that she could trust him completely. If he wanted to tell her where he had gone or what he had done, he would tell her in his own time. Her pushing him for answers wouldn't get her anywhere. Ginny knew how touchy his temper was. So, she decided, she'd just wait and see what he did. If he told her, great. If not, well…maybe there'd be a time to bring that conversation up one day.

* * *

For two days now, ever since he had gotten back from his trip to the Grant house, Draco had been hiding in his room. When he had returned, Draco had felt the urge to thank his old headmaster. Draco still wasn't sure what he had wanted to thank Dumbledore for – sending him to the Grant house, allowing him to forgive himself, or not telling anybody his secret– but he had felt that urge. However, he had, on his way up to his room, overheard Mrs. Weasley telling Ginny that Dumbledore and McGonagall had left for Hogwarts.

And that was when Draco had seen his mother walking down the hall. Because of Draco's agility, she hadn't seen him, and when he had hidden around a corner while Narcissa had walked into the room with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, he had heard her asking for him.

That was when Draco had decided to hide in his room.

Draco had no urge to talk his mother right now because the last time he had talked with her, she had just discovered that he was dating Ginny. Narcissa was furious, Draco could tell. His mother may be nothing like his father, but she certainly wanted her son to marry a pureblood witch in good standing. Draco, now that he knew how wonderful Ginny was, could care less if she was rich or not. He had plenty of money for the both of them. But until Draco could convince his mother of that, he had no desire to see her. Plus, she had promised to talk about it once Draco was through with his meeting with Dumbledore. That had been two days ago. Though Draco was tired of having to sneak into the kitchen to get his meals late after everybody had gone to bed, he felt lucky to have gotten so far without hearing from his mother.

Draco's luck, however, was about to run out; for as he was tempted out of his room the next morning by the aroma of sizzling bacon, he ran straight into Narcissa Malfoy.

"You've been avoiding me," Narcissa greeted her son, and Draco cringed at the hurt look in her eyes.

"No I haven't," he lied.

"I want to talk to you."

"About what?" Draco asked cautiously, making his way down the stairs to the kitchen.

"You know what," said his mother pointedly.

"But I'm hungry," Draco said, knowing that he couldn't buy much time despite how whiny he sounded.

His mother sighed and pointed to the kitchen door. "Fine. Go in there, grab some toast or something, and come right back out. You can eat on the way to my room where we can have some privacy."

Resigned to his fate, Draco slid into the kitchen, hoping not to be noticed, and grabbed two slices of bacon and a piece of toast. He didn't make eye contact with anybody in the room, and so had no idea if Ginny had noticed him or not. When Draco walked back out of the kitchen, his mother was waiting for him.

"Come on," she said, and started immediately back up the stairs. Finishing his first piece of bacon, Draco followed. By the time they had reached her bedroom, Draco had finished all of his food.

During the few months that the two of them had lived at Grimmauld place, Draco had been in Narcissa's room only a few times. However, he remembered it perfectly. It was much simpler than she had been used to at Malfoy Manor, but it was larger than what she had stayed in at Reina's house. There was a double bed with a nightstand on each side, a large dresser made out of cherry wood, a red rug in the middle of the floor, a fireplace opposite the door, two cushiony chairs, and an adjoining bathroom.

"Sit," Narcissa said as she pointed to one of the chairs. Draco sat, and his mother took a seat across from him. "Like I said, you know what I am here to talk about."

"Ginny," Draco said quietly. "What about her?"

Narcissa sighed, and instead of the anger that Draco had expected, he saw a calm acceptance. "Do you love her?"

"What?" Draco asked, caught completely off guard. "Do I love her?"

"Yes."

"I – I…I don't think I even know what love is."

Narcissa smiled sadly. "No, I don't suppose you do. And that's mine and your father's fault."

"But –"

"No, Draco, it is. You know that I loved you since the moment the healers placed you in my arms. I don't know if Lucius ever loved you, but I did, and he took away my ability to show you that love." Narcissa kept gazing sadly at her son. "But about Ginny, tell me…why are you with her?"

"Well…" mused Draco. "I guess because…she helped me when no one else would and she believed in me when no one else would. I don't know." He shrugged. "She helped me save you and we became friends and then everything just sort of…happened."

"What happened?"

"I kissed her," said Draco, "and then everything between us was different."

"But how was it different?" Narcissa insisted.

"I don't know," Draco answered uncomfortably. "I don't know if I love her because I don't know what love is supposed to feel like." Then, after a moment of silence, he asked, "Did you ever love father?"

"I did, long before we were married," she sighed. "Back then I thought he loved me too. But I truly did love him."

"How did you know?"

"I just did," she said with a smile. "Whenever I was around him, my palms would get sweaty and my heart would race until I was sure the whole world could hear it. And whenever I was around any other handsome man, I never felt a thing. Only your father could make me feel that way."

Draco was quiet, trying to picture his mother in love. Never before had he really understood her situation fully. She must have really loved Lucius at one point, and she must have felt that he loved her too. And to find out that he never really did must have been a crushing blow.

"So what, are you trying to tell me to wait and see if I get sweaty palms around Ginny?" Draco asked.

"Well it's a start," Narcissa smiled fondly.

"So you're accepting me and Ginny, then?" asked Draco, hardly daring to believe what that might mean.

Narcissa sighed heavily. "You know how our families are together. We've never been able to set aside our differences, but I've done a lot of thinking over the past few days and I've come to this conclusion: All I want is your happiness. If I had wanted you to be miserable, I never would have tried to save you as a baby. I love you, Draco, and if Ginny makes you happy, then that's all I can really ask for."

Draco stared at his mother, the corners of his lips slowly rising into one of his rare, true smiles. "Thank you," he said, standing and pulling his mother to her feet. Then, before she could say anything, Draco wrapped his arms around her back and hugged her. Narcissa's arms immediately came to rest around Draco and for the moment, as mother and son embraced each other, Draco could feel the love surrounding him. It felt like a living entity as it circled Draco and Narcissa. Had this been what he had missed out on his entire life? Had this been what he had taken away from Aidan? Draco closed his eyes and the image of four gravestones resting in the tall grass came to him. For the first time, Draco allowed himself to believe that maybe his life was richer than he had ever given it credit for.

And he almost thought that, in the split second before he opened his eyes, he saw a young boy running barefoot through the fields.

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**A/N:** For all of you who are sticking with me and putting up with the long waits, you have my gratitude! I know, I know, there was again no Draco/Ginny interaction in this chapter. To be fair, I should tell you that there won't be as much interaction between them as there was in the last story, and that's because the plot has them away from each other for a while. But don't worry, there will still be plenty of it in there, especially towards the second half of the story. And I have a few surprises in store, so it should be good.

Okay, now the book I said I was going to recommend. It is seriously one of my all-time favorite books. It's called **_Where the River Runs _**by Patti Callahan Henry. She is just so talented – You can literally see all of the things she is describing in her story. It's one of those stories that is both sad and happy at the same time, and I will admit that I cried while reading it. But the Gullah proverbs it's centered around kind of made me think about Draco: "If you don't know where you are going, you should know where you came from." Ah, it's just a fabulous story. Go get it from your library. Or better yet, buy it. That's what I did.

Reviews!

Lauren


	6. The Wisest Teacher of All

I finally finished Chapter 6. My only excuse for the delay is holiday stress and sheer laziness. And I'm sorry if the proof-reading for this chapter is bad. I found it extremely hard to concentrate and thought it'd be unfair of me to wait until I_ could_ concentrate to give you this chapter when you've all been waiting for so long already.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or his little buddies. Only the plot of this story, which I swear picks up after the first few chapters.

**Chapter 6: The Wisest Teacher of All**

The next day, Draco took advantage of the fact that Grimmauld Place was mostly empty. He hadn't talked to Ginny in a while, and Draco felt the familiar desire to see her. He longed to tell her about the conversation he had had with his mother, but Narcissa had requested that Draco not mention it to Ginny yet. Draco had a feeling that she wanted to be the one to talk to her.

Draco, carefully shutting his bedroom door behind him, tiptoed down the hall. He knew that Harry and Ron were in one of their rooms, and he knew that his mother was in her room, and that Ginny was somewhere around Grimmauld Place; everybody else, it seemed, was gone for the moment. So Draco, not knowing exactly how much time he had until someone returned, descended the stairs and walked through the various dark hallways until he reached the kitchen. When he found the room to be empty, Draco continued through the house towards the sitting room most often used. There Draco met satisfaction, for Ginny was sitting on the couch near the empty fireplace idly turning the pages of a magazine.

"Hey," Draco said, sitting in the chair opposite the couch.

Ginny looked up and whispered, "Hey." She glanced around uncertainly. "Where are Ron and Harry?"

"Your brother is upstairs beating Potter at chess, and by the sounds of it, Potter wants a rematch, so they won't be down for a while."

"And your mum?"

"Upstairs in her room. We're fine."

"Good," Ginny sighed, a smile spreading across her face. "I feel like I haven't talked to you in a long time."

"Probably because you haven't," Draco laughed. "What are you reading?"

"Oh, this," Ginny said, motioning towards the magazine in her hand. She tossed it onto a pile of similar magazines on the table separating her and Draco. "Just one of those teen witch magazines. I don't know where exactly they came from, but I was bored and just picked one up."

Draco leaned forward and took one of the magazines, opening it and resting it on his lap. "Well hold back onto it; that way if someone walks in, we're not talking together, but simply reading. Not as suspicious."

"Right," Ginny said, picking up the bright pink magazine. "Because Draco Malfoy reading a magazine on different beauty products for aging witches isn't suspicious at all." Ginny raised her eyebrow as Draco glanced down at the magazine he'd picked up. He saw a picture of a graying witch staring back at him, winking slyly. Draco shuddered, and as Ginny giggled, he tossed that magazine back and searched through the pile until he found a more masculine looking one.

"Much better," he stated, gazing at the young man posing with what looked like a group of Quidditch players. "Much more me," he sighed. "So what have you been doing lately?"

"Not much," Ginny grimaced. "I played beauty shop with Hermione this morning, and she's off meeting with Dumbledore and Ewan in Diagon Alley right now. They're supposed to be dropping by later."

"Oh, right. I forgot about Granger and Ewan…what's his last name?" Draco asked.

"Swestan," Ginny replied. "He was in your year at school, a Ravenclaw. Hermione's quite taken with him."

Draco suppressed a snort of laughter. He couldn't imagine Hermione Granger being quite taken with anybody. "I never thought of Granger as the dating type."

"Oh be nice," Ginny said with a frown. "She's my friend. And Ewan's really nice, actually, very handsome too. And he's quite the gentleman."

It was Draco's turn to frown at Ginny now. This Ewan fellow had better not be too charming or good-looking. Not that Draco would be jealous of anybody who'd date Hermione Granger, of course.

"So what have you been doing lately that's kept you so busy?" Ginny asked, most likely sensing Draco's mood. Draco looked at her and all thoughts of Ewan Swestan were momentarily forgotten as he remembered exactly what he had been doing as of late. A tiny, miniscule part of him wanted to tell Ginny where he had gone the other day, but Draco didn't want anybody to find out what he had done to Aidan Grant, especially Ginny. Would she still want to be with him if she knew? Would she still even want to be his friend? Draco would rather not know, at least not anytime soon.

"Oh, just around. Talking with Dumbledore and all. Actually," Draco said, "that's one thing I wanted to tell you about. The other day when Dumbledore wanted me to have a meeting with him, he told me of the Order's plan regarding the horcruxes, which I seem to remember overhearing Granger tell you about while I was stuck in a rather awkward position under your bed."

"And? Go on."

"Dumbledore is sending Potter and your brother to Voldemort's mum's old house to look for one of the horcruxes."

"But…won't that be kind of dangerous?" Ginny asked uncertainly. "There could be Death Eaters there or something. Why would Dumbledore send them alone?"

"Well they're not going alone, exactly."

"Who's going with them?"

"I am."

"You?" Ginny asked incredulously, her eyes widening. "But that's even worse!"

Draco laughed. "How?"

"Well it's bad enough having my brother and the boy who is like a brother to me going on such a dangerous mission, but to have my boyfriend going too is even worse!" Ginny said agitatedly, the concern in her eyes plain to see.

"Ginny, it won't be that bad," Draco tried to reassure her. "Nobody other than the people in the Order know about this."

Ginny looked down at the magazine in her lap, and her hair fell from behind her ears to mask her face from Draco's sight. Eventually she looked back up, a doubtful look still on her face. "Harry and Ron actually agreed to this?"

"I'm assuming so," Draco answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Dumbledore probably told them about it by now."

Ginny frowned at Draco. "Actually, I talked to them this morning after Hermione left and Ron let slip something about Dumbledore coming by later today to talk to them about, and I quote, 'the Order mission,' so maybe that's what's going to happen."

"Did he sound upset or angry when he said it?"

"No," Ginny said. "He seemed rather pleased and excited, really."

Draco grinned. "Well then, he probably doesn't know about me coming along."

"When do you leave?" Ginny asked.

"Probably in a few days," answered Draco. "We haven't made too many plans yet, and Potter and your brother still have to be told."

"Hmm," murmured Ginny. Draco could tell by the way her eyes narrowed that she still didn't like the whole idea, but Draco knew she'd get over it eventually. She'd have to, for though Draco disliked the thought of accompanying Harry and Ron, he was eager to be doing something to help the Order. Knowing Ginny's anxiety about the subject, Draco also thought it best not to mention his own theory that Dumbledore would be sending him along with Harry to search for the rest of the horcruxes when the time came. It'd be best to save that bomb for another battle.

Just then, both Ginny and Draco heard a female voice shout from the front entryway, "Ron! Harry! Come down here!"

"Is that Hermione?" Ginny asked. Draco nodded. "She must be back from her meeting."

Ginny got up from her seat and walked to the door, glancing around the corner. She poked her head back in. "Yeah, Hermione, Ewan, and Dumbledore are out there."

"Well you go out there," Draco said, standing as well. "I'll come from the other direction of the house in a minute or two."

"Okay," said Ginny. Then she turned back to the door, took a deep breath, and stepped out.

Draco then exited the room from the door he had come in from, which was on the opposite wall. He had to take the long way around the house to avoid being seen by the main hallway, which was visible from the entryway, but eventually Draco walked from out of the kitchen and into hallway where a group of people was gathered. Dumbledore stood in the back near the door, Hermione was whispering something to Ginny, and Harry and Ron were talking to a young man who stood next to Hermione. As Draco stepped forward, he cleared his throat, and everybody else turned to him.

"Oh," said Hermione, startled to see Draco. She glanced at him for a moment before holding a hand out towards the young man. "Uh, this is my boyfriend, Ewan Swestan. Ewan, this is –"

"Draco Malfoy!" Ewan exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock; his comment was half question, half statement.

Draco smirked broadly. "The one and only."

Hermione glanced back and forth between Draco and Ewan, biting her lip. "Ewan, I know you remember him from school. And yes, I know, you're probably shocked to see him of all people here, but…"

Ron clapped Ewan on the shoulder. "He was an arse in school. Well, guess what? He's still an arse!"

"Watch it, Weasley," Draco growled. Turning back to Ewan, Draco held out a hand. Now that Draco could see him up closer, he did recognize him from school, though from which class, Draco couldn't recall.

Ewan's blue eyes were still wide with wonder as he gazed upon Draco's face, and he dazedly pushed his hair behind his ear. Draco, his hand still in the air, snapped, "I don't bite." He saw Ewan visibly jump, and then take hold of Draco's hand. "At least, not if you don't make me angry," said Draco, squeezing Ewan's hand hard. He raised an eyebrow challengingly. Ewan nodded at him and smiled.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day that Draco Malfoy would fight against the Death Eaters," he said, shaking his head. "Are you part of the Order?"

"Well this house is just so warm and cozy I thought I'd spend my summer holiday here, read some poetry, maybe make a lamp shade or two, you know how it goes," Draco replied, rolling his eyes. "Of course I'm in the Order."

"Err, right," Ewan said uncertainly. He glanced down at Hermione at his side, who was looking up at him anxiously. "Well in a day or two, I'm going to be in the Order as well."

"Yes he will," spoke Dumbledore as he stepped forward. "Our meeting went splendidly, I think, and if all continues going well, tomorrow he shall be instated as a full member of the Order of the Phoenix."

Ewan smiled at Dumbledore's words.

"Good to have you, mate," Harry said, shaking Ewan's hand.

"It's good to be here," Ewan said. He looked around them for a moment.

"Is he staying for long?" Draco asked, folding his arms across his chest. He heard Ginny clear her throat awkwardly as he received some less than friendly glances from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "What, it's not like I don't want the bloke here. I'm just curious," he said.

"He's staying here," Harry replied firmly. His and Draco's eyes met, and Draco could see the challenge in his eyes. "This is his home for now."

Draco shrugged his shoulders as Dumbledore said, "Well, if all of the introductions are over with, we should continue. Hermione, I will trust you to show Ewan to his room. It's the only empty one left on the boys' floor."

"Yes, Sir," Hermione replied. "Come on, Ewan," she said, taking his hand and leading the way down the hall.

"And Harry, Ron," Dumbledore continued, "I believe I promised the two of you a meeting."

"You did. Something about a – uh…meeting," Ron muttered. Draco saw Ginny and her brother glance at each other, saw Ginny smirk and Ron blush.

"Yes. If you and Harry will follow me, please," he stated. "Oh, I almost forgot." Dumbledore turned back to Draco and Ginny. "Draco, please come by my office in about fifteen minutes."

"Okay," Draco replied, swallowing back his frown.

Ron, as he and Harry followed Dumbledore down the hallway, glanced once at Ginny, then suspiciously at Draco, and then back to his sister.

Once Harry and her brother were out of sight, Ginny asked, "What's that all about then?"

"I'll bet in that fifteen minutes Dumbledore tells them that I'm going with," Draco muttered, looking down the hallway. "Come on," he said, grabbing Ginny's hand and pulling her into the kitchen. He and Ginny took a seat at the table. "He probably wants to talk strategy or something. I don't know."

"I hope it all goes alright," sighed Ginny, her face one of worry. "Do you think the three of you will ever stop fighting?"

Draco looked at Ginny. "If you're afraid of me murdering them out of frustration or something, don't worry. But I seriously doubt the three of us will ever see the day when we won't fight."

"But…won't you guys have to work together eventually?" Ginny asked slowly. "I mean, if you're going to be out there searching for the horcruxes and all…"

"I don't know, Ginny," said Draco. "Who knows how this thing is going to work out."

Ginny sighed heavily and tapped her fingers on the table. Then she smiled. "So what did you think of Hermione's boyfriend?"

Draco wrinkled his face. "Please, let's call him Ewan. Your term just sounds so…odd. But as for Ewan, other than coming across as a bit brain-dead, I think he's fine."

"He's not brain-dead, Draco," Ginny argued, torn between amusement and annoyance. "Anyone who can be in Ancient Runes is not brain-dead."

"Well still, with all that 'Are you in the Order' stuff? I mean, come on, what does he think I'm doing here, being held prisoner?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "No. Come on, Draco, everybody at school knew your reputation. You were Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy. To almost everybody at school, you were as good as a Death Eater. Seeing you of all people here must be a real shock. It'd be like Voldemort announcing that he had decided to work in a muggle hospital or library or something."

Frowning, Draco folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his seat. "Well still…"

"Shouldn't you be going to Dumbledore's office?" Ginny asked sweetly as she smiled.

"Yeah," Draco said. He rose from his seat. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah. Bye," Ginny said, turning to watch Draco walk out of the kitchen.

As Draco walked to Dumbledore's office, he thought about what Ginny had said. Had all of Hogwarts actually believed him to be a Death Eater? He could understand some like Harry Potter believing that, but had everybody else? Had Ginny believed it? Had she included herself as part of the "almost everybody" she had mentioned?

Draco frowned. But before he could ponder the thought any longer, he reached Dumbledore's door. He could already hear shouting, and with a deep breath, he opened the door, not bothering to knock.

"But why does he of all people have to come?" Harry was shouting angrily, standing before Dumbledore's desk, his chair pushed back; Dumbledore sat calmly in his own seat. "Why not some other Order member like Remus or Tonks or Moody even?"

"And why not me?" Draco asked, announcing his presence.

"Shut up, you!" Ron bellowed, rising from his seat. "Nobody asked you to be part of this."

"And nobody asked you if you wanted to have the brains of a sea slug, but here we both are," Draco said casually, sitting down in Harry's discarded chair. "I assume this is my seat."

"I was sitting there," Harry snapped, and with a flick of his wand, he had caused Draco to flip backwards over the chair and land on his back.

As Harry reclaimed his seat, Draco grumbled, "Your maturity, Potter, it really astounds me." He gingerly rose from the floor. "Shines like a beacon before all of us poor old chaps who were never taught manners."

"Boys, enough," commanded Dumbledore. A second later, Dumbledore had conjured another chair, and while glaring at each other, both Ron and Draco sat down. "I called you three here today to talk about how you will search for the horcruxes so Voldemort can be defeated once and for all, not squabble like school children. I know of the enmity between you, and though you may never overcome it, I ask that you all learn to control it." He looked pointedly at each of the three boys sitting before him. "There is no room for mistakes in this mission, and if all of you are so heated that you cannot even be in the same room together without fighting, then I do not see how you will succeed once I send you out of this house."

Silence fell over the four of them, and Draco felt shame prickle inside him; he sat up straighter, meeting Dumbledore's eyes. "Now," continued Dumbledore, his voice heavy, "The plan is for the three of you to go to the Gaunt house tomorrow."

"So soon?" Ron asked.

"The sooner the better," muttered Draco, glancing at Ron out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes," said Dumbledore said. "The plan is this. Very early tomorrow morning, the three of you will Apparate to Gaunt's house and search the remains for any sign of a horcrux. If you happen to find one, do not try to destroy it. Come straight back here. Do not even try to take it with you, for there are probably curses placed on it."

"That's it?" Draco asked. "Go there, look around a bit, and then come back?"

"Yes, that is it," replied Dumbledore, unperturbed. "You were hoping for something a bit more…daring? Dangerous? Exciting?"

"Well…yeah," said Draco with a frown.

Harry coughed and then said, "I suppose that if we do find a horcrux, and we come back and tell you, you'll send someone else out there to destroy it?"

"Precisely, Harry," Dumbledore beamed. "It's really not so difficult after all, is it?"

"And you're not going to send any other Order members after us, are you?" Ron asked. "To keep watch or anything?"

"I won't," Dumbledore assured them. "I trust the three of you enough to let you do this on your own."

"Does anybody else know we're leaving so soon?" Draco asked.

"Molly and Arthur Weasley know, as well as several other Order members."

"Are we allowed to tell anybody?" asked Harry.

"You may tell whomever you wish," Dumbledore answered. "As long as they are in the Order, of course." He cleared his throat. "Now, I suggest the three of you go rest for the remainder of the evening until dinner. Prepare yourselves mentally and physically for tomorrow. I expect you to leave as early as six o' clock."

* * *

The next morning, at precisely five minutes after six in the morning, Draco walked towards the front door of Grimmauld Place, where both Harry and Ron were standing, looking extremely annoyed. They both glared at him grimly before opening the door and stepping out into the sunlight. Following, Draco smirked softly at their retreating backs, glad to know that he could still anger them.

"Alright you two," Harry said, "you have to concentrate on where you're Apparating to, otherwise you might splinch yourself." He glanced at Draco when he said this, and from the look in Harry's eyes, Draco could tell that he partly wished Draco would do exactly that.

"And you don't have to concentrate, Potter?" Draco shot back.

"No, I don't," said Harry.

Draco barely had time to register what Harry had said, for a moment later, with a loud crack, Harry had Disapparated. Frowning, Draco looked over at Ron, who glanced back at Draco uneasily. Then Draco cleared his throat and closed his eyes, imagining a picture of a run-down house. _The Gaunt house, the Gaunt house, the Gaunt house,_ he repeated in his head. Slowly, he felt a sucking sensation, and screwed his eyes shut tighter as his body seemed to implode. The next instant, as he opened his eyes, he was standing before a house that rested in a tangle of large and twisted trees. Draco swayed as he stood, his balance slightly off. He noticed Harry glancing at the house that appeared to be crumbling at its foundation.

Harry turned to look at Draco, who pulled his wand out; the forest around them was dark, blocking out what sunlight there was. It made Draco feel uneasy. And where was Ron? Shouldn't he have arrived about now? Draco frowned and looked at the house again. A few of the windows seemed to be boarded up, but others were simply empty, lacking glass altogether. The wooden door, Draco noticed, was hanging in its frame by only one hinge. It seemed that at any moment it would fall off.

As Draco was turning his attention to the trees, he heard a noise behind him which sounded like someone being hit in the stomach by a Bludger. Draco turned and grinned when he saw Ron lying flat on his face.

"You alright, Ron?" Harry asked, coming to help his friend up.

"Oh I'm fine," grumbled Ron, picking a grassy bit of mud off his face. "Just bloody fine. Who wouldn't be fine after being sucked through space and time to land on his arse?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "I believe you landed on your face, actually."

Ron looked sourly at Draco but made no comment. "So where do you reckon this horcrux is anyway?" Ron asked, taking in their surroundings as he dusted himself off. "Inside? Out?"

Draco snorted. "If we knew, do you really think we'd be standing here theorizing about it?"

"Well if you're so smart, Malfoy," snapped Harry, "then why aren't you coming up with any bright ideas? Oh right, because you're you and you don't have any…"

"For your information, Potter," Draco started, feeling his temper rise, "I didn't come on this little quest to think up big ideas that'll get you attention and fame. I came along – on Dumbledore's own suggestion, mind you – to make sure that you and Weasleby don't get blown away by Death Eaters."

"That's bullocks, Malfoy, and you know it," growled Ron, clenching his fists. "Dumbledore knows that Harry and I can handle ourselves."

"Whatever lets you sleep at night," Draco said, shrugging his shoulders. "How about this, then. You two search around out here for a horcrux, and I'll look inside the house."

"How about_ you_ search out here and _we_ go inside," suggested Harry. Without waiting for a reply, he turned to the house, saying, "Come on, Ron."

Draco watched the two approach the decaying door and peer inside cautiously. Harry entered first, wand drawn and head low; Ron followed him. Suppressing the urge to throw a curse after them, Draco walked towards the edge of the woods, his wand held ready in his hand.

Draco had no idea where a horcrux would be, which was probably the reason why ten minutes later he was growling in frustration after having found not one single thing out of the ordinary. There was tangled bush after tangled vine, twisted tree after twisted roots, but nothing that didn't seem like it belonged in a mangy old forest. The grounds immediately next to the house also seemed normal. Stacked against the back wall of the house was a pile of firewood, each piece the exact same size as the next. Draco wondered how long the wood had been sitting there waiting for use.

Similarly aged, yet farther down the house, rested an old broomstick. It was crawling with bugs that seemed to have gnawed through half of the broomstick. Wrinkling his nose, Draco kicked the broomstick; it collapsed on itself, the bug-bitten parts falling away until two halves of the broomstick lay in the dirt. The bugs scurried away, tittering angrily.

Draco shook his head and continued on, the prospect of finding a horcrux becoming dimmer every second. He made his way back to the front of the house and poked his head inside.

"You two find anything?"

Ron turned to look at Draco. "If we found something, don't you think we would've told you about it?"

"No, I don't think you would've," answered Draco, stepping inside.

"Huh, who would've thought a Malfoy would actually be right about something," Ron said, looking shocked. He rolled his eyes and turned back to Harry.

"I've had about enough of your attitude, Weasley."

"And I've had about enough of –"

"Hey," broke in Harry. "Just cool it, you two."

"And you, Potter," sneered Draco, stepping on a board lazily, cracking it. "Playing the peacemaker…you really think you're something special, don't you?"

Harry looked Draco up and down. "More special than some," he said quietly.

Draco felt his insides burning at Harry's words. Seven years of hatred and jealousy rose before his eyes, blinding him with rage. Harry Potter had always thought himself better than Draco. Even when Harry was an orphan and Draco had a family, Harry's life was better. And why? All because of some stupid scar…

Without thinking twice and before he could control himself, Draco had crossed the remaining space in the room and punched Harry on the jaw. Ron needed no further provocation, for when Harry fell backwards, he launched himself on Draco, his arms swinging.

Draco was ready for him. Dropping his wand as Ron plowed into his middle, he pounded on the red-head's back and neck, barely aware of the pain in his sides as Ron pummeled his ribcage. Letting out a growl of frustration, Draco grabbed Ron's shoulders and twisted him around, throwing him on his back.

Before Draco could proceed with the beating, Harry had gotten back to his feet and slammed his fist into the side of Draco's face. Draco stumbled backwards but managed to stay on his feet. He saw with grim pleasure that Harry's top lip was bleeding. By now, Ron had jumped back up, and Draco stared at the two of them, knees bent and ready to spring.

For a second, nothing happened. And then Ron swore and leapt once more for Draco. The two of them went down as a poof of dust rose around them. Draco repeatedly punched Ron's stomach. Ron was in turn hitting Draco with all his might.

"Flipendo!" shouted Harry, and Draco was blasted across the room. He landed on his back and stood at once. But instead of charging at either Harry or Ron, he stood there, panting for breath. Harry's wand was still pointed straight at Draco, and by the look in his eyes, Harry wouldn't hesitate to jinx him again.

"You're really something, Potter," muttered Draco. "Like I said, playing the peacemaker. You better watch out or you'll have a new nickname. 'Peacemaker Potter' – I can see it in the papers now. But I forgot, that's what you like, isn't it? Your name in every wizard's house?"

"Malfoy, you don't know what you're talking about," spat Harry. "I never asked for the attention I get."

"But you never tried to stop it," Draco sneered, pushing past Harry and picking up his wand. "I bet you just loved it when you got to search for horcruxes all by yourself with nobody babysitting you this time."

"Well if you'll notice," said Ron, holding the underside of his nose to stop the bleeding, "we didn't find anything. None of us did."

"Yeah and why is that?" Draco asked. "I thought the two of you were like some unstoppable team. What with all that 'We can do anything!' crap I thought you'd know where the horcrux was as soon as we got here."

"Who said we can do anything?" Ron demanded.

"You all basically said it," scoffed Draco. "Especially since you didn't have to concentrate to Apparate here, someplace where we've never been. Oh, my mistake." Draco smirked. "Actually, Weasley, you still fell flat on your face. So you can't do anything. But Wonder Boy over there can't wait to show off. 'I don't have to concentrate,'" he mimicked, rolling his eyes. "You're pathetic, Potter."

Harry stepped forward angrily. "Listen, I didn't have to concentrate because –" He broke off, his eyes wide.

"What is it, Harry?" Ron asked, looking around the room. Draco looked too and saw that there wasn't anything out of place. He looked back at Harry and saw him now staring into space.

"Potter, what is it?"

"I didn't have to concentrate, because…because I've already been here before," Harry said slowly, more to himself than to Ron or Draco."

"What?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, how could I have been so stupid!" Harry exclaimed, smacking his forehead.

"I think that'd be rather easy, actually," Draco said angrily. "But what the hell do you mean, you've already been here?"

"I can't believe I forgot," Harry said. "Back at school when Dumbledore and I were training and all, this was one of the memories we visited. And we saw – oh this is great!" Harry shouted, his face contorted in anger.

"Harry, what is it?" Ron asked impatiently.

Harry sighed, kicking the ground. "There isn't a horcrux here."

"Excuse me?" Draco repeated. "Then what are we doing here?"

"I don't know," Harry said wearily. "Dumbledore already found a horcrux here. What was it, Ron? The ring? I guess it doesn't matter. But Dumbledore already found a horcrux here and destroyed it. There's nothing here for us to find."

"How the hell did you not remember that, Potter?" Draco shouted in disbelief. "You go there –here– and you see the horcrux, you hear Dumbledore telling you about it, and you don't even remember? Oh this is just peachy."

"I forgot, alright?" Harry said, his frustration evident. "I messed up. Is that what you want me to say?"

"No! I want you to make up for all of this lost time. Why did Dumbledore send us here if he knew there was nothing to find?"

"He was testing us," sighed Harry, shaking his head. "He still didn't trust us."

"After all that we've done?" Ron asked. "How can he not trust us?"

"You dimwit," Draco snarled, "He doesn't trust the three of us _together_."

"So this is your fault!" Ron shouted. "If you hadn't joined the Order, Dumbledore wouldn't have sent us searching for a horcrux that doesn't even exist."

"Oh you won't be able to pin the blame for this one on me," said Draco. "I at least had no knowledge of this place. You two had to go and forget about it. Bloody memory the two of you have…"

"Just shut up," said Harry. "Let's just go back, alright? We can talk to Dumbledore then."

"Yeah whatever," said Draco, glancing scornfully at Harry and Ron. Before he stepped outside, he heard two cracks as Harry and Ron disappeared. A second later and Draco too had Apparated back inside the front door of Grimmauld Place. He saw Harry and Ron already walking down the hallway to Dumbledore's office, not even stopping to wait for Draco.

Draco hastened after them, his anger now shifting to Dumbledore. Why did the old man have to send them on that fool's errand? Was it to see if the three of them would get along? To see how well they worked together? To see _if_ they worked together?

Harry knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office and didn't stop knocking until Dumbledore called for them to come in. The three young men stepped inside the office to find Dumbledore sitting calmly in his seat behind his desk.

"Back so soon? How did it go?" He smiled at them.

Draco snorted. "You know bloody well how it went. Why'd you send us if there wasn't a horcrux to find?"

"Harry," said Dumbledore, ignoring Draco, "I'm surprised at you. I would have thought that you would have remembered the memories we visited."

"I forgot," said Harry through clenched teeth, his face turning pink.

"And that is unfortunate," Dumbledore said sadly. "Forgetting any little detail in this war is not a good thing, and that is one thing I wanted today to teach you."

"Couldn't you have just told us not to forget anything?" Ron asked. "Wouldn't that have been easier?"

"But Mr. Weasley, I'm sure you will remember much better from this than if I had told you. Experience, after all, is the wisest of teachers.

"And," he continued, "I assume that all did not go as well as I had hoped, for Ron, you are dripping on my carpet."

Draco looked over and saw that Ron's nose had started bleeding again. He grinned at the damage he had inflicted on the insufferable Weasley. But when he saw the disappointed frown that Dumbledore was giving him, Draco's grin died and he looked away.

Dumbledore sighed and waved his wand at Ron and the bleeding stopped. Ron mumbled a thank you as Dumbledore also healed the cut on Harry's lip and the injuries on Draco.

"Now you three look good as new," Dumbledore said, though he didn't smile. "I suppose you are still wondering why I sent you today. Suppose I had sent you somewhere else, somewhere where there actually was a horcrux. Don't you think there would have been some sort of Death Eater activity around, since Voldemort wouldn't leave part of his soul unguarded? And how soon do you think you would have been captured or killed had you been fighting each other instead of concentrating on protecting yourself?"

Nobody answered, and Dumbledore sighed. "I will be very straight-forward with you," he said. "If you fight like that in a real life and death situation, none of you will last very long. It will be as easy for the Death Eaters to sneak up on you as it would be to sneak up on a baby. You three could very easily be dead. And all because you cannot work together."

"But Sir –"

"Harry, I do not care if you hate Draco or his family. And Draco," he added, seeing Draco about to comment, "I do not care if you despise Harry. All of you will have to get over your grudges and enmity. And you have as long as you want to get over it, for none of you will be helping the Order search for or destroy horcruxes as long as you still fight each other."

"But Professor –"

"No buts, Ronald," Dumbledore said. "Until the three of you stop fighting each other, I will not allow you to fight Death Eaters. Learn to get along. How you do so is entirely up to the three of you. And how long you wait here in Grimmauld Place is also entirely your decision. I'll leave you to figure out how to solve the situation. And now if you'll excuse me," he said, standing up, "I am due back at Hogwarts. I will be checking in on you periodically, and when you are ready to act your age, you know where to find me."

Draco turned as Dumbledore led the way out of his office. Draco exchanged displeased looks with Harry and Ron before following.

As Dumbledore Disapparated, Draco walked to his room, seething over the prospect of befriending Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

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**A/N:** Like I said a while back, Draco and Ginny won't have as much interaction in this story as they did in the other one. But there was some in the beginning of this chapter and I do have some plans for them later on.

Everybody, have a very merry Christmas!

Lauren


	7. Turtle Dragons and Cherry Vanilla

Okay so I've said before that this story is based on parts of the HBP, but I'm not keeping certain aspects of that story. Two more changes of mine come up in this chapter, but I'll tell you at the end so that I don't ruin any of it. 

Isn't Christmas break wonderful? I can write all I want and update faster. And with any luck I can get one more chapter up before break ends.

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.

**Chapter 7: Turtle Dragons and Cherry Vanilla**

Late one stormy evening in Diagon Alley, just as Mr. Ollivander was tidying up his shop for the night, the door opened. Without turning to see who had come in, Mr. Ollivander said, "I'm sorry, but we're closed for the night."

"You would close your door on a friend?" came a soft, deep voice.

Mr. Ollivander turned around. When he saw who had come into his shop, he set down the pile of wand boxes he had been sorting.

"You are no friend of mine, Lucius Malfoy," he said with a frown.

Lucius chuckled and shut the door behind him. "Really? After all we've been through together?" He reached into his cloak and pulled out his wand, which Mr. Ollivander eyed uneasily; yet they both did nothing.

"After all we've…been through?" Mr. Ollivander asked. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"But you don't remember?" Lucius asked, smiling as if he thought the whole conversation amusing.

"No I don't," Mr. Ollivander replied.

"I've been coming to see you once a week since February. And I've asked you all the same questions every time. And yet you don't remember…pity. But I suppose I can understand that."

"You – you've done what?" Mr. Ollivander asked, horrified. He backed up, staring at Lucius. "What have I told you?"

"Oh, nothing of importance, unfortunately," Lucius replied calmly. "Maybe it will be different tonight. And then maybe it won't and next week you will be able to tell me some real news."

Lucius raised his wand and, just as Mr. Ollivander whipped out his own, said, "Stupefy." Mr. Ollivander fell to the floor and his wand rolled a few feet away. Lucius sighed as he levitated the other man's body onto the desk chair, placing him in a sitting position. After conjuring some ropes, he tied Mr. Ollivander to the chair. Then Lucius picked up the dropped wand and placed it on the desk.

Glancing at Mr. Ollivander to make sure he was still unconscious, Lucius reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out a tiny vial containing a clear liquid. He removed the lid on the vial and, holding the vial carefully in one hand, used his other hand to point his wand at Mr. Ollivander and say, "Ennervate.

Mr. Ollivander slowly lifted his head, his eyes still unfocused. Before he had a chance to fully awake, Lucius tipped the contents of the vial down the man's throat. Mr. Ollivander sputtered for a moment and some of the potion came out, but enough had gone down his throat.

"There now, that wasn't so bad," Lucius said, grinning again. "I must say, I've gone through this same procedure so many times, I feel as if it'd be impossible for me to mess up."

"What have you done to me?" Mr. Ollivander asked groggily.

Lucius laughed. "I believe I am the one who is supposed to be asking the questions. Let's see now…one of those preliminary questions. Ah – what is your profession?"

"Making and selling wands," Mr. Ollivander replied instantaneously. He blinked, and then understanding dawned on his face. He whispered, "Veritaserum…"

"Very good," Lucius congratulated sarcastically. "Last week it took you nearly ten minutes to figure it out. But time is precious and I am impatient, so let's get down to business. This'll only take a minute. Has Narcissa Malfoy come into this shop recently?"

"No."

"Has my son Draco come?"

"No."

"And has anybody mentioned anything about my wife? Perhaps talked about purchasing a wand for her?"

"No."

"Has anybody at all talked about purchasing a wand for a friend or family member?"

"No."

"Nobody? Not one person?"

"Not one person," Mr. Ollivander said, staring back at Lucius.

"Alright," Lucius said with a sigh. He stood up. "Obliviate," he said, pointing his wand once more at Mr. Ollivander, who slumped forward when the curse hit him. Lucius looked backwards; though the curtains were shut as always, he wanted to make sure nobody was around. He then untied Mr. Ollivander and, as he did every week, threw the rope into the fire burning in the grate.

"Till next week, then," Lucius said quietly before he walked out of the shop.

* * *

Over a month after Draco had returned from the horcrux hunt which had been doomed from the beginning, he was still irritated with Harry and Ron. Dumbledore had told them that they would not be able to help the Order search for and destroy horcruxes until they stopped fighting each other. Draco, while he desperately wanted to help, could not seem to stop arguing with Harry or Ron and they, in turn, couldn't help but provoke him.

It had been a hard month for nearly everybody in Grimmauld Place. After the first horcrux hunt, almost everybody had found out about Dumbledore's new rule. Draco knew that at first, Ginny had tried to be sympathetic with him. She had also tried to be sympathetic towards her brother and Harry, for all three of them had eventually told her that they must somehow stop fighting. However, after a few weeks of them constantly complaining to her about how rotten and annoying the other was, she had finally lost her patience and stopped talking to all three of them. That hadn't lasted long, though, for Draco had been very persuasive in his apology to her. After that, he had complained less about Harry and Ron when around Ginny. Harry and Ron, too, seemed to stop talking about Draco when they were around her.

Mrs. Weasley, though, was another matter. She seemed to want to talk about nothing but how Harry, Ron, and Draco ought to get along. At every opportunity she was trying to convince the three of them to spend time together. During meals, she would make them sit next to each other, Draco right in between Harry and Ron. It was pure torture for Draco, but he took pleasure in knowing that it was torture for Ron and Harry as well.

Draco's own mother had started coming out of her room more often, though she stayed out of the way regarding Draco's befriending Harry and Ron. Whenever Draco remembered the conversation he had had with his mother regarding Ginny, he felt pleasantly warm and satisfied inside. Narcissa hadn't suddenly become completely friendly towards Ginny's family, but she had certainly stopped being rude. She had even helped Molly Weasley set the table a few times for dinner. The entire Weasley family had been stunned by this, but Narcissa had simply smiled at them and kept quiet.

Draco wondered when his mother would talk to Ginny. To his knowledge, Ginny still didn't know that Narcissa Malfoy knew about their relationship. Draco had wanted to tell Ginny so many times, but he kept his mother's wishes and didn't say anything. However, it was hard for him to keep quiet whenever Ginny worried over how she would possibly be friends with Narcissa, and his tongue had quite a few teeth marks from where he had had to restrain himself.

One thing that dampened Draco's mood lately was the prospect of Ginny returning to school. She had received her Hogwarts letter a week ago, and he knew she was planning on a trip to Diagon Alley soon to purchase her school things. He wanted to go with her, but asking Dumbledore for permission to leave Grimmauld Place while he was still technically fighting with Harry and Ron didn't seem like a good idea.

Draco wasn't sure what he'd do when Ginny left. His life would go back to the way it had been earlier that summer before she had arrived – lonely. He did have his mother to talk to, and on occasion his cousin Tonks was amusing, but it wasn't the same as having Ginny around. Sometimes it startled Draco how much he had come to enjoy her company. A year ago he had despised her and her family, and now it was hard to imagine life without her. The way she could easily make him smile and laugh was amazing considering how awkward Draco was with his feelings. But she had a way about her, a certain glow that Draco found irresistible. He had no idea what he'd do when she went back to school.

They could write letters, of course, but Draco had never been one for composition. He could also try to visit her at Hogsmede when she was allowed to go, but that was assuming that Draco was allowed out himself. He wanted to get a picture of her, but he didn't have a camera and there was nobody he could ask to borrow one from. Besides, if he was ever caught possessing a picture of Ginny Weasley, there was no telling what kind of wrath he would suffer, especially if the one to find him with the picture was any redheaded freckled male who went by the name of Weasley.

Draco sighed and walked out of his bedroom. It was almost time for lunch. Draco had come to expect to be seated between Harry and Ron at mealtimes, and though he hated the thought, he could no longer skip meals and get them at another time. If he didn't come down to meals, someone would come and bring him down to the kitchen to eat with everybody else.

This time when Draco walked into the kitchen, he found that neither Harry nor Ron were present. Draco sighed with relief and sat down at the table, waiting for food. The only other person in the kitchen so far was Mrs. Weasley, and she smiled tentatively at Draco when he walked in. Draco nodded back at her but remained silent.

He had, since his arrival at Grimmauld Place, taken on a more polite attitude with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Draco figured that one day his and Ginny's relationship would be made known to Ginny's family; and when that happened, he thought it'd be best to have on his side the support of her parents when her brothers tried to kill him. Though Draco seldom had conversations with Arthur or Molly Weasley, he tried to be decent enough while in their presence.

To Draco's chagrin, at that moment, both Harry and Ron came into the room. Groaning, they stopped in the doorway when they saw Draco and tried to leave before Mrs. Weasley saw them. But to all three boys' displeasure, her eyes were very sharp.

"Hold it, you two," she said, setting a tray of cucumber sandwiches on the table. Harry and Ron slowly turned around. "Sit down, now, right where you know I want you to."

Draco glared at Harry and Ron as they reluctantly came forward and sat on either side of him, scooting their chairs as far away as possible without sparking Mrs. Weasley's temper. Draco sighed angrily. How much longer would this continue? Was there any way he could possibly get along with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley? If there was a way, Draco didn't know where it was.

"Hey Mum," called Ginny as she walked into the kitchen, "can we go to Diagon Alley today?"

"I don't know, dear," Mrs. Weasley replied distractedly as she pulled a pie out of the oven. "There's so much to do. Your father is so busy at work right now and Tonks and I were supposed to check in at the Ministry this afternoon."

Draco watched as Ginny shook her head and sat down across from Ron. The only good thing, in Draco's opinion, about Harry and Ron sitting next to him was the fact that Ginny was also able to sit near him without looking suspicious. Normally they couldn't sit too close to each other without attracting attention, but now it merely looked as if Ginny was sitting near her brother and Harry, not near Draco.

"Well," Ginny sighed, "we're going to have to find time soon. My train leaves for Hogwarts the day after tomorrow."

"I know, I know," said Mrs. Weasley as she sat down on one side of Ginny. "I guess we'll just have to find time tomorrow."

"I could take her," said a new voice from the doorway. Draco knew who it was before he looked, and he smiled as his mother walked into the room. "I wouldn't mind," Narcissa said as she sat down on the other side of Ginny.

Mrs. Weasley leaned forward and stared in shock around Ginny at Narcissa. "You?" She asked. "Oh, I don't know. I mean, I'm sure you have other things you'd rather do and Arthur and I will manage."

"I insist," Narcissa said with a smile. "I honestly don't mind. And I haven't been out of this house in ages."

Ginny was turning her head left and right to watch the two women as they spoke. Draco himself was surprised at his mother's suggestion, though he had an idea what she really wanted to do – talk to Ginny privately. She could of course find time to do it here at the house, but Draco knew she also wanted to be out and about doing something.

"Well," Mrs. Weasley said hesitatingly, "are you allowed to go out of the house? I mean, isn't your husband looking for you still?"

"I can disguise myself," Narcissa replied. "It would be perfectly safe. And then you don't have to worry about having to do it."

Mrs. Weasley looked at Ginny, then at Mrs. Malfoy, and back again at Ginny. "What do you think, Ginny?" she asked. "Would that be alright with you?"

"I – well, I – I mean, sure," Ginny replied, her eyes still wide and surprised. She looked down at her plate in bewilderment.

"Good," Narcissa Malfoy said pleasantly, reaching for the cucumber sandwiches. "That's all settled then. We'll leave right after lunch."

* * *

Ginny ate quickly and excused herself, saying that she had to go gather her Hogwarts list and get ready. She hurried out of the kitchen and up to her room, still wondering why Narcissa Malfoy had volunteered to take her shopping. It was true, Narcissa had been much more polite lately, but Ginny wondered at her change. What had happened that had made her so nice?

It was all puzzling to Ginny. When she got to her room, she changed into clothes that were a little nicer than the jeans and old T-shirt of her brother's she had been wearing. She sat down on her bed and was pulling out her Hogwarts letter when someone knocked on her door.

"Come in," she said. Instead of her mother, whom she had thought would come up, in walked Draco.

"Hey," he said, shutting the door behind him.

Ginny smiled at him. "Any idea why your mother is going to take me shopping?"

"Not a clue," Draco replied, sitting down next to her and looking at her list. "Must have had a change of heart about you…you're not getting all of this stuff, are you?" he asked, pointing at some of the items on her list.

"No, not all of it. Some of it like the Potions and Charms books I'm using Ron's. But I need some of this stuff."

Draco sighed and laid back on her bed. "So you're leaving the day after tomorrow."

Ginny looked at him and then down at her lap. "Yeah," she said softly. "But I'm coming home every chance I get, like for Christmas and Easter and all.

"Christmas is a long ways away," Draco stated.

With a sigh, Ginny laid down next to Draco, who wrapped his arm around her. Ginny rested her head on Draco's shoulder and said, "Well maybe you can get out of here and come visit me on Hogsmede weekends."

"Maybe," Draco replied. "But I doubt it. I'm supposed to be befriending you brother and Potter, and once I get that done, we're probably going to be doing Order stuff."

Ginny was silent, staring at the crook of Draco's neck and shoulder. She could feel him twirling a bit of her hair around his fingers, and she smiled slightly. "Well we can always write each other."

"I guess we'll have to," Draco said. "And hope that Christmas comes really fast this year. Besides, I have to get you an extra nice present."

"Why?" Ginny asked, looking up at him.

"Because I didn't know it was your birthday earlier this month until your mum started singing you happy birthday at breakfast that morning."

Ginny laughed. "Well I didn't get you a birthday present either. I didn't know when it was and I got here after it took place. I guess that means I'll have to get you an extra special Christmas present too."

"Well that's settled then. We'll have to see each other for Christmas, because we'll have to exchange gifts."

"Deal," said Ginny. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, loving how nice Draco smelt. She was just about to lean up and kiss him when Draco asked her a question.

"So what's the story on Ewan Swestan?"

"What story?" Ginny asked.

"Well, like where did he come from? Why's he here and not with his parents?"

"Oh."

"Don't you know?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, I talked to Hermione about it once. A few years after he was born," Ginny said, "his parents and sister were killed in a Death Eater raid. I don't think it was a planned murder or anything, it was just random. And then he went to live with the only family he had left, which were his aunt and uncle. Then the summer before he first went to Hogwarts, they were killed too. So when he wasn't at Hogwarts, he was in an orphanage, said he's always hated Voldemort. And when Hermione told him about the Order, he wanted to join right away."

"Hmm," mused Draco. "How do we know he's telling the truth?"

"You don't trust him?" Ginny asked, sitting up.

"It's not that," Draco said. He sat up as well. "He's been part of the Order for a month now and he seems like a perfectly nice guy. But Death Eaters could have anybody under the Imperious Curse and all."

Ginny frowned. "Even someone like me?"

"Well not you because you're too cute," Draco said with a grin, causing Ginny to laugh.

"Well for your information," she said, "Dumbledore interviewed him just like he did you when you became a member. He used Veritaserum and everything, and Ewan's story checks out. And there's no way to get around Veritaserum."

"Yeah," said Draco. "I'm just glad when Dumbledore was making sure I was trustworthy that nobody like your brothers was around. They would've loved asking some embarrassing question like had I ever danced naked in the rain or something like that."

"Well have you?" laughed Ginny.

Draco grinned slyly. "Why Miss Weasley, I don't believe a young lady should be asking such improper questions. It's not befitting of you."

"Okay," Ginny said, still laughing. "But you better get out of here soon or somebody's going to catch you."

"Alright, alright, I'm going." Draco stood from the bed and stretched before heading for the door. "I'll see you later tonight after you get back with my mother."

"Yeah, wish me luck," Ginny said.

Draco shook his head and smiled before walking out the door. "I don't think you're going to need it."

Ginny frowned as Draco closed her door. What had he meant by that? She shrugged her shoulders and picked up her list once more. She put on her robe over her clothes and placed her wand in her pocket before walking out of her room and downstairs, where she found her mother cleaning up from lunch.

"Here's some money, Ginny," her mother said, handing a sack of coins to her daughter. "It should be enough for what you need to get." She looked worriedly at Ginny for a moment. "Are you sure you're alright going with her?"

"I'll be fine, Mum," Ginny said, remembering Draco's words. "I think maybe we judged Mrs. Malfoy a little early, perhaps."

"Well maybe you're right," Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Though she was rather nasty when she first came here, she's been much more pleasant lately. Let's hope this mood lasts."

Ginny smiled and turned around in time to see Narcissa Malfoy walk into the room, a dark purple robe resting on her thin shoulders. Her once light blonde hair had been darkened to a deep brown, her pale skin had tanned slightly, and her soft blue eyes were now light brown. As Narcissa smiled warmly at Ginny and her mother, she seemed a completely different person. "Are you ready to go?" she asked.

"Yes," Ginny said, swallowing her nerves.

"We should be back before five o' clock," Narcissa told Mrs. Weasley.

"Alright," Molly said, wringing a dish towel in her hands. Ginny smiled at her mother and then walked out of the room. "Oh," Mrs. Weasley said, hurrying after Narcissa and Ginny, "how are you going to get there?" Ginny looked at Narcissa questioningly. She had assumed they would be Apparating.

"Well, I suppose you don't know how to Apparate, do you?" Narcissa asked Ginny, who shook her head. "I haven't Apparated in years, so I wouldn't dare try it. We would probably end up splinched in Peru or some other country," she sighed. "Well – I suppose The Leaky Cauldron isn't too far from here, is it?" she asked. "We are in London after all."

"I believe it's a few miles from here," Mrs. Weasley replied. "Oh dear…"

"Could we walk it?" Ginny suggested.

"In this heat?" Narcissa asked. "Not a chance. We'll have to Floo…Molly, is there a fireplace connected to the network in here?"

"Yes there is," Mrs. Weasley said. "It's in another room. Follow me."

Ginny and Narcissa followed Mrs. Weasley through the house to a room which Ginny had never been in before. It seemed to be an office of sorts, though Ginny didn't know whose it was. There was a very large fireplace in the middle of the room, leading up through the ceiling. Ginny thought it very beautiful. It was a square structure built of stone with a grate on either side. A bucket of Floo powder sat on the floor next to it.

"I'll leave you to it, then," Mrs. Weasley said. She gave Ginny one last smile before leaving the room.

"After you," Narcissa said, gesturing towards the fireplace. Ginny grabbed a handful of Floo powder, tossed it into the fire place, and then stepped into the green flames.

"Diagon Alley," she stated loudly. Ginny closed her eyes as she started to spin; traveling by Floo powder also made her feel slightly nauseous. But soon the spinning stopped and Ginny stepped out of a fireplace and into the busy street of Diagon Alley.

Stepping aside, Ginny waited patiently for Narcissa to arrive. A few seconds later, she did. Narcissa Malfoy looked around for a few moments, breathing deeply. Ginny could see her face light up at the sight of so many other witches and wizards about.

"Well, this is certainly a sight for sore eyes," Narcissa said, turning to smile at Ginny, who smiled in return, trying not to feel awkward. "It's been a while since I've been outside on my own."

Ginny didn't know what to say, so she pulled out her Hogwarts list. "Uh, there aren't too many places to go. I just need a few new books and stuff."

"Well there's no rush," Narcissa said. "Where to first?"

Ginny looked around to see which store was closest and decided on Flourish and Blotts. "This way, I guess," Ginny said, starting down the street where she could see the bookstore. Narcissa walked next to her, and Ginny kept her hand on her list.

When they walked into the store, Ginny headed for the section she knew her Defense Against the Dark Arts book would be. The curriculum for seventh year Herbology, Potions, Charms, and Transfiguration were all the same as they had been last year, so Ginny was able to use Ron's books. However, she still needed the books for her other three classes, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures, which she had chosen to take because it had always been an interesting class to her; besides, Hagrid was a fun teacher.

Ginny didn't yet know who the new Defense teacher would be. Every year since she'd been at Hogwarts there was a different teacher for that class, and her Hogwarts letter hadn't said who would be teaching this year. But she did know that she needed a book entitled _The Dark Arts: Know Them to Survive Them _written by a woman named Celine O'Reilly.

There were only three of those books left on the shelf, and Ginny picked one up in relief, though the price of the book made her glad she was borrowing some of her brother's. After that, Ginny found the Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy books she needed and walked up to the counter to pay.

As she was waiting behind the customers in front of her, Ginny saw that Narcissa was on the other side of the store looking in the fiction section. Ginny smiled slightly at the satisfied look on her face as Narcissa picked up a few books and joined her in line.

"Find everything you need?" Narcissa asked.

Ginny nodded. "And you?"

"Yes, I just thought I'd get a few books to read for at home," Narcissa said.

Turning back to the line, Ginny saw that the witch behind the counter was waiting for her. Ginny stepped forward and paid for her books, cringing slightly at the high price; she hoped that Narcissa wouldn't notice.

After that, Ginny waited while Narcissa bought her own books, and then the two walked back out into the street. Ginny looked at her list and saw that the only things she needed to buy were some Potions ingredients, a special pair of gloves for Herbology, and for Care of Magical Creatures, a Norwegian turtle dragon egg. Ginny frowned and looked closer at her list to see if she had misread; she had never heard of anything called a turtle dragon before, and she warily wondered what Hagrid had in store for them that year. She decided to save that stop for last.

"What next?" Narcissa asked cheerfully. "After we're done, I thought we might go to Florean Fortescue's to get some ice-cream, my treat of course. And then before we go home, there's one other stop I'd like to make."

"Alright," said Ginny. "There're only a few more things I need to get for school, and I'm supposed to get a new robe because my old ones are a little short. I suppose I grew over the summer," Ginny said cheerily, and she couldn't help but smile. She had always thought she was much too short, but she had grown at least two inches since the last time she had measured herself; she had also convinced her mother into buying her two new robes. "Next we can go to the apothecary and get what I need for Potions and Herbology if it's all there."

"What do you need to get?" Narcissa asked as they walked down the crowded street.

"Just some armadillo bile, moonstone, scarab beetles, scurvy-grass, and valerian roots," Ginny listed. "And for Herbology I need a certain type of gloves, which might be at the same store if I'm lucky."

When they walked into the apothecary, Ginny almost gagged at the horrible smell, the result of all the ingredient odors mixing together. After stepping inside, Narcissa, who turned slightly green, told Ginny that she would wait outside. Ginny set about selecting all of the items she needed. To her relief, she found the Herbology gloves; supposedly they stopped any sort of injury such as burns and bites, and again Ginny wondered what was in store for her that year.

After she had finished purchasing those school things, Ginny stepped out of the store and breathed in some much needed fresh air. Narcissa laughed and said, "I don't know how anybody can stay in there all day selling that stuff."

"I have no idea," Ginny replied. "Maybe they've been there so long they can't even smell it anymore."

"Anything else you need for school?"

"Just something for Care of Magical Creatures," said Ginny. The two walked to the Magical Menagerie and stepped into the noisy shop. Ginny had always loved coming here and seeing all of the different creatures. She looked around a bit for anything that looked like an egg, but couldn't find one. Eventually she went up to the counter and asked the old wizard if he knew what a Norwegian turtle dragon egg was.

"Oh, you're looking for one of those, eh?" he asked with a sigh. "Must be a Hogwarts student…Well you're in luck, young lady, because we have exactly one left."

Ginny watched as he bent down, picked up a box, and set it on the counter. Inside resting on a towel was a dark green egg the size of her fist. The wizard sighed again as he looked at it. "Students been coming in all week long picking these up."

"What is it, exactly?" Ginny asked anxiously. "Is it going to hatch anytime soon?"

"Oh no, it won't hatch for at least a month. And even if it does hatch, it's not dangerous until it's at least two months old."

"Dangerous?"

"Yeah," said the wizard. "See, turtle dragons look basically like a normal turtle, right? They grow up to about the size of a large cat. Eventually they start breathing fire, and that's what you have to look out for. But I suppose you'll be using it in class and your teacher will tell you all about them. Just make sure you keep it somewhere where it won't fall or anything."

"Alright," said Ginny. "How much is it?"

"Twenty galleons," the wizard replied.

"Twenty galleons! For an egg?"

"Well these things don't come cheap, you know," he said with a frown. Ginny sighed worriedly and opened the coin bag her mother had given her. If she paid twenty galleons, then she would hardly have money left for new robes. The old wizard must have seen the forlorn look on her face, for he cleared his throat and said, "Eh, well you know, this one here was the runt of its litter and all, which is probably why it's the last one left. So since it is, I'll only charge you half price. Mind you now," he added when he saw Ginny's delighted look, "it'll probably turn out sickly. That's what happens with these things when they're runts. But I suppose it's not worth twenty galleons. So I'll only take ten."

"Thank you, Sir," Ginny said, thoroughly relieved. She was glad that Narcissa was again off looking at a cage of animals and wasn't around to hear the conversation. Ginny gladly handed over ten galleons as the man placed the egg in a small cardboard box filled with straw.

"There you go now, girl," he said. Ginny thanked the man again before going over to Narcissa to tell her that she was finished.

"Got everything you need, then?" she asked as they walked down Diagon Alley.

"Yep," said Ginny. "Just have to get some new robes and I'm done."

"Well how about we go get some ice-cream first," Narcissa said. "It's been a while since I've had some and it's such a hot day."

"Okay," replied Ginny, smiling at the ground. It was hard for her to believe how much Narcissa Malfoy had changed. A month ago the woman had been cold, rude, and arrogant, but now she was completely different. She was polite, considerate, and even fun to be with. Ginny found herself coming to like this new Narcissa, whom she hoped would stick around for a while.

When they reached Florean Fortescue's, Narcissa ordered them both a large bowl of cherry vanilla ice-cream, and they took their treat outside to the only table which wasn't occupied by young kids and their parents. Ginny sat down on a chair and slowly ate her ice-cream while Narcissa did the same. Their table was further away from Florean Fortescue's then the other tables, and there were some trees and bushes with large white flowers planted nearby. Ginny thought that all in all, the surroundings were very pretty.

"So, Ginny," began Narcissa, wiping her mouth on a napkin, "there is something I want to talk to you about, but I don't know quite how to start."

Ginny slowly set down her spoon and swallowed her bite of ice-cream. Her heart had started beating faster, for she thought she knew what Narcissa was going to talk about – her and Draco. But how much did she know? What if her friendly attitude was all a show, some pretense to lull Ginny into a false sense of security?

"Well," Ginny said tentatively, "you can say whatever you want. I don't mind."

Narcissa sighed and took another bite of ice-cream. "Alright. I'll just jump right to it. You see, I know about you and Draco."

Ginny stared at Narcissa. "You – you know…what, exactly?"

"I know that the two of you are in a secret relationship."

"Apparently not _that _secret," murmured Ginny. She looked away in embarrassment, wondering what Narcissa must think of her. "How long have you known?"

"A little over a month now," Narcissa answered. "Ginny, I can see that you are nervous around me, so please let me settle those nerves right away. I am not upset or angry at you or Draco. I'll admit that I was at first, and I was rude to you and your family intentionally. But I did a lot of thinking and now I am not bothered by his being with you."

Ginny remained quiet, stirring her ice-cream which was starting to melt. "I – I don't quite know what to say," she stammered. "If this doesn't sound too rude or anything…why don't you mind anymore? I think I know why you used to mind, but I don't see what changed your mind."

"I don't know what exactly changed my mind," Narcissa sighed. "It might have been you, it might have been Draco, but I think it was the memory of how I used to love Lucius a very, very long time ago. I thought back then that the whole world was ours and I felt as if nothing could go wrong. I suppose it's a naïve and foolish thought, and I don't think Draco thinks that way, but it bred other feelings that were anything but foolish. I would like Draco to have those feelings and that sort of…of love in his life, and I don't think that I should try to control who he chooses to be with. I know what it was like to be controlled, and I hated it. I guess I just had to get used to the idea that Draco had changed."

"How did you find out?" Ginny asked. "Did Draco tell you?"

"No," said Narcissa with a smile. "Albus Dumbledore told me. I suppose he thought I'd mention one day how you helped rescue me from my husband, and he thought that'd give you and Draco away, so he told me not to mention anything about it." She laughed. "Who knew Albus Dumbledore was a matchmaker."

"I see," said Ginny with a smile. "Well, I mean I'm really…are you sure you don't mind?" Ginny asked, still shocked at the idea of Narcissa Malfoy's acceptance.

"I'll only mind if you hurt him," Narcissa replied. "But I don't think you will. You and your family are kind people. I wish I could have given my son that kind of happiness in his life, but I couldn't. But now he can still have that happiness. I'll only mind if it gets taken away from him."

Ginny smiled, and for once around Narcissa Malfoy, her smile wasn't forced; it was a true, happy smile. "I won't take it away from him," she said softly, and then she looked down at her ice-cream, embarrassed. She could feel her face and neck heating up, and that only made her more embarrassed. Why would she say something like that, and in front of Draco's mother nonetheless?

Narcissa laughed and ate her ice-cream. Ginny looked up too and thought that she and Narcissa would perhaps be friends after all. Ginny suddenly remembered her letter from Reina Juriac earlier that summer. What had Reina said? _There is still hope that the two of you can get along._ Had Reina known back then that this day and conversation were coming? Perhaps she had. Ginny knew what she would be doing soon. She thought she owed Reina Juriac a letter.

After they had finished eating their ice-cream, Narcissa and Ginny got up to leave.

"So you need robes," Narcissa mused. "Madame Malkin's, then?"

"Mm-hmm," answered Ginny. They walked over to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. To their luck, Madame Malkin wasn't waiting on anybody, and Ginny was able to be fitted right away.

"What kind of robes are you getting?" Narcissa asked as she sat down on a bench to wait.

"Just some school ones, I guess," replied Ginny. As she waited for Madame Malkin to come back with some measuring tools, she looked over the racks of robes. "I suppose with the Gryffindor crest and all."

"Hmm," said Narcissa. "Wouldn't you like something nicer?"

Ginny blushed and looked down. "I don't have…tons of money so I have to just get the regular kind."

"Well how many robes did you say you were going to get?"

"Two…"

"Well you get one regular one for school, and then the other can be nicer, for you to wear out and about," Narcissa suggested pleasantly.

Ginny sighed. How was she supposed to tell Narcissa that she only had enough money for school robes, not fancy ones? "Mrs. Malfoy, I can only really afford robes for school. The other ones just cost too much and I –"

"How about this then," said Narcissa, not to be deterred. "You buy one robe for school. Then you spend the money that you would have spent on another school robe on a nice robe, and I will fill in the rest of the money. That way you won't have spent anything more than you would have."

"Oh, but I don't think I could do that," said Ginny, though she was very tempted by the offer. "Thank you, but –"

"No buts, Ginny," Narcissa said firmly yet kindly. Ginny closed her mouth. "I want to do this. I don't want you to feel as if it's charity or anything. I've caused you and your family a lot of grief over the years, but I want to make it up to you. Please think of this as someone buying a gift for a friend. You just had a birthday a few weeks ago, didn't you?"

"Yes," replied Ginny. "I just turned seventeen."

"Well there you are then. This is a belated birthday present, and I won't hear another word about it. In fact, you buy your two school robes, and the third will be entirely on me."

Ginny sighed again, wanting to decline and accept the offer at the same time. In the end, she kept quiet as Madame Malkin fitted her school robes; she didn't want to offend Narcissa at all, and she really did want a nice robe.

When Madame Malkin had finished with her two plain black school robes, Narcissa told Madame Malkin to hold the robes while they looked at material for a third. Narcissa took to looking at one half of the room while Ginny looked at the other, gazing at different materials, colors, and patterns.

"Never mind the cost, now," Narcissa called to her. "Pick whatever you like."

Ginny had no intention of picking whatever she liked, for she looked at the price tags before she inspected the robe too much, but she made sure she found one she liked. In the end, Ginny selected a dark brown robe made of suede, which, she thought, would be perfect for in the fall and winter. When she showed it to Narcissa, the woman asked, "Is that what you want?"

"Yes," Ginny replied, thoroughly pleased with her choice; the brown, thought Ginny, would contrast with her vibrant hair nicely.

"Alright then," said Narcissa with a smile. Madame Malkin came over to them then and fitted the robe. Ginny had been used to the school robes which had virtually no way to clasp at the front, and which were not figure-flattering in the least. This robe, on the contrary, was everything Ginny had dreamed of as a young girl. It was form fitting, a style of clothing which Ginny rarely had, and settled snugly about her chest and waist. The robe fell all the way down to her knees with a small slit on either side to allow for easier mobility. A belt of the same dark color was sewn around the back of the cloak and both ends of the belt met in the front; when Madame Malkin was finished, she clasped together the metal buckle, securing the cloak firmly about Ginny's waist. When Ginny finally turned to look in the mirror, she could hardly contain her delight.

"It looks wonderful on you," said Narcissa.

"Brings out the color of your eyes," Madame Malkin added.

A bit reluctantly, Ginny took off the robe and put on her old one so that Madame Malkin could package the robes and ring up the price. Ginny held out the money for her two school robes and ignored the price of the third robe, which Narcissa happily paid for.

When they walked out of the store, Narcissa said, "There's just one last stop I'd like to make."

"What is it?"

"I need a wand. Mine was taken from me by Lucius years ago, and now that I am free, I think I need a new one. It's not safe for anybody to be out and about these days without one."

"Yeah," agreed Ginny. "Alright. We can stop at Ollivander's."

When the two walked into Ollivander's wand shop, they had to wait several minutes while Mr. Ollivander was selling a wand to a young boy who was with his mother. After they left, Mr. Ollivander came up to them.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, looking back and forth between Ginny and Narcissa; his eyes rested on Ginny. "Aren't you a little old to be starting Hogwarts?"

"Oh, I don't need a wand," said Ginny. "I've already got one." She pulled out her wand and showed it to Mr. Ollivander.

"Oh, yes, I remember now," Mr. Ollivander said slowly. "Ginny Weasley…oak, ten inches and with the tail hair of a unicorn. Similar to your brother's, except his was willow and fourteen inches, very sturdy and break-proof. Hmm. Well," he cleared his throat and turned to Narcissa. "You'll be needing a wand, then?"

"Yes," said Narcissa, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. So far throughout the day, nobody had yet recognized Narcissa in her disguise, which Ginny was thankful for. But she just thought of something. Wouldn't Mr. Ollivander eventually find out who she really was in the wand selling process? She frowned as she watched Mr. Ollivander measure the length of Narcissa's arms and legs. Well, she'd just hope that everything went well and Mr. Ollivander never found out who Narcissa really was.

"Alright," Mr. Ollivander declared. "You can put your arms down now. I'm going to go get some wands for you to try."

Ginny and Narcissa stood silently as Mr. Ollivander went to various shelves and returned with an armful of wand boxes. He opened one and handed the wand to Narcissa. "Try this one. Oak and dragon heartstring, ten and a half inches."

Narcissa grabbed the wand and swished it through the air, but nothing happened. Mr. Ollivander took the wand back and handed her another. "Ebony and phoenix tail feather, nice and firm." Again Narcissa tried the wand, but nothing happened. Mr. Ollivander, not to be deterred, handed her yet another wand, this one made of mahogany and unicorn hair.

Narcissa must have gone through twenty different wands before Mr. Ollivander finally frowned with frustration. "My, my, I haven't had such a tough customer in a long time." He sighed and tapped his fingers against his chin as he stared at the pile of wands he had picked out. He glanced sharply at Narcissa, who looked back calmly, and then back at the wands. "I wonder…" he murmured under his breath. He glanced at Narcissa again before he said, "Just a moment. I'm going to get another wand."

Ginny looked at Narcissa and shrugged her shoulders as Mr. Ollivander walked down several aisles and out of sight. He returned after a few minutes and handed another wand to Narcissa. "Try this one."

Narcissa picked up the wand and waved it in a half circle. As several pale blue butterflies fluttered out of the wand and disappeared in a poof of silver dust, Ginny, Narcissa, and Mr. Ollivander all smiled.

"Yes, I thought so," Mr. Ollivander said quietly. "This is just the wand for you, Narcissa Malfoy."

Ginny and Narcissa glanced quickly at Mr. Ollivander. "How did you know?" Ginny asked carefully.

"My dear Miss Weasley, the wand that has just selected Mrs. Malfoy is the exact same kind of wand that selected her back when she was eleven years old. Willow and dragon heartstring, eleven inches, very handy in charms and illusions."

Narcissa smiled at Mr. Ollivander. "I suppose my family made a double of my wand when they bought it for me all those years ago?"

"Yes, your parents did do that," Mr. Ollivander said. Seeing Ginny's confused look, Mr. Ollivander said, "Certain wizarding families will pay to have an exact duplicate made of their child's wand, in case it is stolen, lost, or broken. Narcissa's parents had a double made and kept here in my shop, and it has been here for many years."

"Well Mr. Ollivander," said Narcissa, "I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anybody that I was here. You see, my wand broke a few days ago, and my husband doesn't know about it. I'd rather hoped that I could replace it without telling him."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Malfoy," Mr. Ollivander said kindly. "Your secret is safe with me. And there's no cost for the wand, because it was already paid for by your parents when they bought you your first wand."

"Perfect," said Narcissa with a smile. She pocketed her wand and thanked Mr. Ollivander again. Ginny waved good-bye to the old, pale man and followed Narcissa out of the shop.

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**A/N:** The two things I changed were Mr. Ollivander and Florean Fortescue's ice-cream store. In HBP, Mr. Ollivander went missing and Fortescue's closed. In my story, obviously, that didn't happen. Tell me what you liked (or didn't like) about the chapter in a review! And as always, my thanks go out to those of you who do take the time to write me a quick review.

Lauren


	8. Just Look Up

For all of you who have been wanting more interaction between Draco and Ginny, hopefully this chapter will make you happy since about half of it has Draco and Ginny together.

Oh, and there's talk of Reina and Oleaney Juriac in this chapter. Remember those two? My OC's from _This Is Who You Are._ Anyway, I just want to remind you guys how their names are pronounced, not that it's important to the plot or anything. Reina sounds like the last two syllables in the word "ballerina" and Oleaney sounds like… "Oh-lee-aw-knee" with the accent on "Oh."

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.

**Chapter 8: Just Look Up**

Soon after returning from her trip into Diagon Alley, Ginny was upstairs in her room laying out her new belongings on her bed and searching for everything she had brought from home to Grimmauld Place. Tomorrow, she and her mother would be leaving to go back home. Ginny was just peeking into the box containing her turtle dragon egg when someone knocked on her door.

"You can come in," Ginny called, setting the box down. Hermione walked inside and her eyes swept over all of Ginny's new stuff.

"Did you have fun?" asked Hermione, closing the door behind her. She picked up the pile of Ginny's new school books and sat down with them in her lap.

"Uh-huh," answered Ginny, starting to fold a pile of clothes.

"How was it shopping with Mrs. Malfoy?" Hermione questioned carefully.

Ginny laughed. "You too? I already had to play twenty questions with my mum as soon as I stepped back into this house." She set a folded shirt down and shrugged her shoulders. "It wasn't that bad, actually. Mrs. Malfoy was surprisingly nice."

"Is that because she knows too?"

Ginny blinked and looked at Hermione. "Knows what too?" she asked, though she had a bad feeling she knew what Hermione was talking about.

Hermione looked straight at Ginny and didn't bat an eyelash when she said, "She knows that you are dating her son."

Forcing a laugh out of her, Ginny shook her head slowly, as if amused by Hermione's suggestion; but inside, she was close to panic. "Hermione, that's probably one of the silliest things you've ever said. Why would I be dating Draco Malfoy?"

"You tell me, Ginny," Hermione said with a frown. "And I'm not joking about this. I'm quite serious, so you can stop pretending."

"Hermione, honestly," Ginny continued, "I'm not dating him. I have no idea why his mum is suddenly so nice, but it's not because of that."

Hermione's frown deepened. "Ginny, I already know that you two are together. Stop acting like you're not."

The panic on the inside of Ginny was, to her chagrin, starting to show on her face.

"Hermione, I'm telling you –"

"Ginny," Hermione cut in warningly.

Ginny sighed and looked down at her hands miserably. Several thoughts raced through her mind at that moment, the most worrisome being, _How did she find out? How long has she known? Who else knows? Will she tell anyone? Is she mad at me?_

"How long have you known?" Ginny mumbled, looking up at her friend hesitantly.

"I found out the first night you got here," Hermione answered. "Remember? I kind of saw him leaving your room."

Ginny cringed; she had known then that Hermione suspected something, but she had hoped those suspicions would just die out. Apparently, that hadn't happened.

"And besides," continued Hermione, "He's not that mean to you anymore. He tries to be, but I can tell it's not real. And you aren't mean to him either. And another thing," said Hermione, causing Ginny's shoulders to slump further, "you two can hardly take your eyes off each other at mealtimes, always sneaking glances at the other. You really should be more discreet. I'm surprised Ron hasn't figured it out yet."

Ginny didn't know what to say. Had they really been that obvious? And would anybody else figure it out? "Are you going to tell anybody?" she asked fearfully.

Hermione's accusative look softened slightly and she shrugged. "I don't know, haven't decided yet. But ever since I started suspecting the two of you, I've had different reasons running through my head, anything and everything that could help me make sense of this, and quite honestly, Ginny, I still have no idea what you are doing. He's Malfoy," she said, quite astounded. "What in the world happened that made you two start going out? And how long have you been together? Wait –" she said before Ginny could reply. A pensive look came over Hermione's face and then her eyes widened in astonishment. "Is that why you were always sneaking out past curfew at Hogwarts last year? You were going to meet him, weren't you!" Hermione's face was pure astonishment.

It suddenly dawned on Ginny where Hermione's thoughts were straying, and she found her face heating up at the implications. She started shaking her head, a protest already on her lips, but Hermione began again.

"Ginny Weasley!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you'd do something like that! You're brother is going to murder you; that is, if your mum and dad don't murder you first."

"Hermione," Ginny said heavily, "it's not like that. Draco and I never did _that_."

Hermione's mouth closed and she looked slightly relieved, slightly embarrassed.

"Look," Ginny began with a sigh. Would Hermione believe the truth if Ginny told her? Ginny suspected that it might be wise to tell her, and if she wanted Hermione to keep her mouth shut, the older girl might be more inclined to do so if Ginny just came forward and told her everything. "You remember last year in school when those four kids disappeared?"

"Yes."

"Well…see, at the time, I was convinced that Draco was the one responsible," said Ginny. "And at that time I was still wishing that Harry would like me, and I thought that he would if I solved the mystery for once instead of you guys. And since I was convinced that Draco was guilty, I decided to team up with him in the hopes of finding some sort of proof that he actually was guilty."

Hermione's mouth had fallen open slightly. "Ginny, are you out of your mind? You went to all that trouble to get Harry's attention?"

Ginny nodded. "I know, it was stupid of me. And even though at first Draco annoyed me to no end, eventually we kind of became friends."

Shaking her head, Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it, looking thoughtful. After a moment, in which Ginny patiently waited for some of the shock to wear in, Hermione said slowly, "He's that nice to you?"

"Yes he is," Ginny answered. "It started right after Christmas. You see, that's another thing. I helped him save his mother."

"You did what?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide again. "You helped him free Narcissa Malfoy? But that's really dangerous. You could have been caught and –"

"I know."

"But where was she all that time?" Hermione asked. "We all thought that Draco had gotten her over the summer right before he came here. Where was she?"

Ginny sucked in a deep breath and held it before she exhaled slowly. "You remember for that Christmas ball where I got my dress and mask, and then I got your mask?"

"Yeah, it was from that one lady in Hogsmede, right? What was her name?"

"Reina," Ginny said. "Reina Juriac."

Hermione frowned at Ginny. "Juriac? As in Professor Oleaney Juriac? Our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Oleaney Juriac?"

"Uh-huh," Ginny said with a smile. "Now don't get confused on me, because all of this ties in at the end, I promise. See, I became friends with Reina and would visit her on Hogsmede weekends. That store is never busy, and when Draco finally spilled to me that his mum was under the Imperious and that he wanted to save her but didn't know where to take her that was safe, I suggested that she stay at Reina's. In the end, it all worked out because that's where his mum stayed until the summer, and then I guess when Draco came here, she came too. You follow me so far?"

"Yeah," Hermione said slowly, and Ginny could tell she was still going over the information she had just heard.

"Alright, well it turns out that the one taking all of those students was Professor Juriac."

"What?" Hermione asked, her face once more astounded. "But he was a professor!"

"I know," said Ginny. "I was just as surprised. It was actually Draco who figured it out." Ginny took another deep breath, for the first time realizing how complicated the details of last year had been. "They're twins, Reina and Oleaney, and after they first moved here to England, they found out that Reina was a squib…"

And so Ginny related the story concerning Reina and Oleaney's tragic past with their parents. Ginny could see that Hermione was completely absorbed in the story and had to hide a smile. Ginny also told her friend all about the secret tunnel under the school that led to the house in Hogsmede where Oleaney had hidden the students.

"Wow," Hermione stated when Ginny was done. "So for all those years he couldn't even remember who he really was?"

"Nope. He thought differently, and that was partly why he took all those kids."

"And so then what?" Hermione asked. "Go on, what happened?"

"Well, Draco and I found it all out and talked to Dumbledore and all. Oleaney and Reina are on holiday in America right now, and all seems fine between them. Dumbledore has the stone that opened that passageway and so it's all good." She smiled, hoping that the story had somewhat placated Hermione.

"And you and Malfoy…?"

"What about us?"

"You suddenly decided to start dating somewhere in the middle of all that?"

Ginny sighed again. "Look, Hermione, I can't tell you when it exactly happened. It just did, and I couldn't help it. Draco's not anything like his father is. He wouldn't be here if he was."

During the story, Ginny had left out the parts where Lucius Malfoy had visited Draco in the school, and had especially kept quiet about how Draco had supposedly been killed by Lucius down in the tunnel; that part of the school year wasn't necessary for Hermione to know, and Ginny didn't think that Draco would appreciate it too much if she told.

Hermione looked thoughtfully at Ginny. "I guess he has been a little better lately. I mean, he and the boys still fight of course, but it's somehow not quite the same as at school. And he's stopped calling me quite as many names."

"Yeah," Ginny said quickly. "He's a really great person, not at all what we used to think. And I'm…" she trailed off, looking down at her bed.

"You're what?" Hermione asked slowly.

"I'm…happy, with him," Ginny said, blushing as she looked back at Hermione. "You won't tell anybody, will you? I mean, I suppose eventually Draco and I will have to tell, but not yet. We're not ready to yet."

Hermione sighed and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hands. When she opened her eyes, she smiled in answer at Ginny, who squealed and leaned across the bed to hug her friend.

"Thank you, Hermione!" she said. "Thank you."

Hermione shrugged as Ginny let her go, but she was still smiling. "I can't say I totally understand the two of you being together, but I guess we see him a bit differently. I won't tell Harry or Ron or anybody else, mainly because I'd like to see you stay alive. Though, it'll be interesting to see their faces when they find out."

Ginny laughed at the idea. "Ron will probably pass out from anger and shock."

Hermione, laughing as well, added, "And who knows what Harry will do. Oh boy, I don't envy your position when they find out. At least they haven't hated _my_ boyfriend since they were eleven years old."

The two of them continued laughing and joking about what Harry and Ron would do if they found out, though in the back of Ginny's mind, she really was slightly apprehensive about that situation. Now, though, she felt relieved that someone like Hermione knew about her relationship with Draco; it was just comforting to know that she had somebody her own age to talk to about it.

After a while, the girls abandoned Ginny's packing and walked downstairs, where they could smell dinner simmering. Most of the group was already present – Draco, Harry, Ron, Ewan, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and also Mrs. Malfoy. Ginny was surprised yet pleased to see Draco's mother making an attempt to be more polite and friendly, and Ginny sat down next to her.

"Alright, everybody, dig in," said Mrs. Weasley as she sat down next to her husband.

Ginny ate her soup in contemplative silence as everybody around her talked. She knew that she would have to say goodbye to Draco tonight, to be on the safe side. She and her mother would be leaving sometime tomorrow, and Ginny didn't want to take the risk of not being able to see him privately then. So that left tonight, and Ginny wondered if she could perhaps enlist Hermione to distract the boys while she talked with Draco.

It was worth a shot, in her opinion. There were several things Ginny wanted to talk about with Draco; she wondered how he would take the news that Hermione knew about them. During school, Draco used to scorn Hermione for her parentage, and while Ginny knew that he didn't hate her anymore, she wasn't entirely sure how he felt about Hermione. Now that the older girl was an ally, maybe the two would finally make amends for their past wrongs. _Who knows, _thought Ginny,_ maybe she'll even be able to help Draco get along with Harry and Ron._

Later on, as the evening was coming to a close, Ginny was discouraged since she had yet to find a time to get Draco on his own. After dinner, Ron had insisted that they play Exploding Snap among other games, and Ginny was starting to despair. It was almost nine 'o clock and Ginny had had a long day; she could feel herself getting more tired every minute.

Finally, she looked pleadingly at Hermione. _Do something,_ Ginny tried to communicate with her eyes. Hermione bit her lip and glanced at Harry, Ron, and Ewan, who were now discussing different Quidditch teams.

"Boys," Hermione said suddenly, "why don't we leave Ginny alone for a while. She's going to have to leave tomorrow and I'm sure she wants some time to think without all of us breathing down her neck."

Ron looked up and frowned. "But we're not bothering her. Are we bothering you, Ginny?"

Though she didn't know what she was going to say, Ginny opened her mouth. Hermione, however, beat her to an answer. "Ron," she said, "I don't know whether you've realized it or not, but your presence can sometimes be a bit…overwhelming," she finished carefully.

Scowling, Ron began to reply, but once more, Hermione cut in. "Besides, I saw your mum baking peach cobbler earlier, and I think it's probably just coming out of the oven."

At this, Ron perked up. The kitchen was on the completely opposite side of the house, Ginny realized, and she mentally hugged Hermione for getting her brother so far away. Just as Hermione was ushering the three boys out of the room, Ron stopped and looked back. His eyes rested on Ginny sitting quietly, doing her best to stare dully, tiredly, into the fireplace, and then his eyes traveled to Draco who was sitting quietly in the corner, once more looking through a magazine; Ginny was sure that magazine was almost falling apart since he had used it as a cover-up so much.

Ron stepped back into the room suspiciously. "I think I'll stay here, actually. I don't like the idea of my sister being in a room with Malfoy all by herself."

Ginny was just about ready to spring off the couch and start screeching at her brother, but she merely turned to look at him with a look on her face as if her brother's insinuation was revolting to her.

"Ron," Hermione said, "Ginny would never do anything like _that_." She leaned in towards Ron and whispered loud enough for everybody else to hear, "It's Malfoy, okay? I don't think he's her type."

"Ginny has a type?" Ron asked in surprise, looking back to Ginny. He shook his head as if to shake away the thought and turned back to Hermione. "It's not her I'm worried about. It's him," he said darkly as he pointed across the room to Draco, who continued to ignore them.

All throughout this, Harry and Ewan stood by patiently and watched the conversation between Hermione and Ron. Ginny could see that Ewan was slightly amused by it while Harry, she thought, seemed torn between suspicion and confusion. She muttered under her breath a quick prayer that neither boy would ever figure out the truth.

"Alright, Ron," Hermione said, clearly frustrated. "You don't trust him? Fine. You go eat cobbler, and I will stay here with them."

Ron, now completely pleased, beamed at Hermione and clapped her on the shoulder. "Thanks, Hermione." Then he followed Harry and Ewan out the door, and Ginny could hear them making their way to the kitchen, already talking about Quidditch again.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione turned towards Ginny, who grinned at her. "Honestly, that boy…" said Hermione. "Well, I'll be in my room," she sighed, and before Ginny could even thank her, she walked out of the room.

Immediately after she was out of sight, Draco threw down his magazine and whispered to Ginny, "What was that all about?"

Ginny sighed and said, "That's one thing I wanted to talk to you about. See, Hermione kind of found out."

"About us?"

"Yes…" Ginny wasn't sure what Draco's reaction would be, but she didn't have time to think on it for there was the sound of footsteps outside the door and Draco quickly picked up the magazine again.

Ron walked into the room as he was saying, "Hey Hermione, I forgot to ask you if you wanted any…" He stopped and frowned when he saw that Hermione wasn't in the room. He was just about to open his mouth and bellow something unpleasant, but Ginny cut him off by standing up.

"Oh relax, Ron," she said tiredly. "She just went to get a book. But you know what, I don't feel like staying down here anymore. I think I'm just going to go to bed."

She muttered goodnight to her brother as she brushed past him, now considering her options. Instead of going to her room, Ginny waited around the corner of the hallway, out of sight. She saw her brother eventually go back to the kitchen, and she hoped that Draco would soon come out. To her luck, he did. Ginny immediately whispered his name to get his attention, and when he saw her, he walked over.

"Bloody hell, doesn't he ever leave you alone?" Draco whispered furiously. "How did you ever survive at school?"

"Welcome to my life," Ginny said dryly. "And don't forget, there are five more of him, so you better watch it."

"Yeah," muttered Draco, running his hand through his hair as he glanced back to make sure that Ron was really gone. "I wish there was somewhere where we could just talk without having to be afraid of one of them dropping in on us. Because even in our rooms we're not completely alone."

"I know," Ginny sighed. Then her face brightened. "Wait a minute, I know where we can go. Come on," she said, grabbing his hand. She led him to the office where earlier that day, she and Narcissa had Flooed to Diagon Alley.

"Where are we going?" Draco asked.

"To my house," answered Ginny as she took a small handful of the powder. "There's nobody there so we don't have to worry about anybody overhearing us. Just say 'The Burrow' nice and clear, and you'll be fine."

She threw her powder into the grate, stepped into the green flames, and said, "The Burrow."

A few seconds later, she was standing in her own kitchen, and she couldn't help but smile at the familiarity. The house was completely dark, but with a flick of her wrist, Ginny had lit the room up so that it was bright enough to see. A little voice in the back of Ginny's head whispered to her that it might not be a good idea to bring Draco here; what would he think of the house? Ginny had always thought of it as cozy and comfortable, but would Draco appreciate its uniqueness?

In another moment, there was a rush of green flames and Draco stumbled out of the fireplace, looking sick to his stomach.

"What is it?" Ginny asked anxiously.

Draco froze and looked at her in relief before he sighed. "I think I got off at the wrong fireplace, must have been before this one or something, and I saw a man…and then I saw another man…and they were –" He wrinkled his face and motioned with his hands.

Ginny giggled at the horrified look on Draco's face. He shuddered and composed himself, taking in his surroundings now. "So this is where you live?"

"Uh-huh," answered Ginny. "This is the kitchen. Kind of obvious, I guess…" she trailed off with a nervous laugh.

With a smile, Draco looked at her. "I think it's nice," he concluded.

"Really?" Ginny asked. "I mean, compared to what you're used to, this is –"

"Nice," repeated Draco firmly. "It really is, Ginny. Now, are you going to offer me a cup of tea like a good hostess?" he inquired with a wink.

Grinning, Ginny set about making them both a cup of tea as Draco took a seat at their kitchen table. "I would get you something to eat as well," she continued, "but nobody's really been here for a while, so what food is left is old."

"I don't care," Draco replied. "Not that hungry anyway. What I would like, though, is for you to finish the conversation you started before your brother interrupted. Granger knows too now?"

"Uh-huh," answered Ginny as she sat down.

"And how did she figure that one out?"

"Well, it's _Hermione_," Ginny said. "She knows practically everything. She said she figured it out the day I went to stay at Grimmauld Place."

"And?"

"And what?"

"And is she going to tell anybody? Namely…your brother. Or your parents."

"No," said Ginny. "She's going to keep quiet about it."

"How come?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Because she's my friend, Ginny answered. "And that's what friends do…watch each other's backs."

Draco seemed to contemplate this for a moment, and seeing him do so, Ginny stood to fix the rest of their tea. Within a few minutes, she brought it back to the table.

"So she actually accepts us?" Draco asked.

"I think so…I don't think she understands why we're together, and I don't know if she approves entirely, but she's accepting it. Who knows," said Ginny, "maybe when the time comes to let other people know, she'll support us."

"And when are we going to tell other people?" Draco probed, sipping his drink.

Ginny sighed. "Not anytime soon, I don't think. Who knows what my family would do to you, and quite frankly, I like you in one piece."

"Well I like being in one piece," laughed Draco. "So…we'll keep mum about it for a while longer I guess?"

"At least until you start being friends with my brother and Harry," Ginny said.

Draco snorted. "I guess they'll never find out then…"

Ginny pushed him playfully and shook her head. "Well, at least your mum seems to have accepted things."

"So she told you then? While you were in Diagon Alley?"

"Yeah. I just about spit out my ice-cream when she said it. But I think," Ginny said thoughtfully, "that it all turned out really well. I mean when you first saved her from your house and we brought her to Hogsmede, I didn't think the two of us would ever be friends. She just seemed so distant and cold and she seemed to…to really hate me."

"She never hated you," Draco said, seeing the pained look on Ginny's face.

"Well then she seriously disliked me. And when she offered to take me to Diagon Alley today at lunch, I didn't know what was up. But it all turned out fine in the end. She's a lot of fun to be around."

Another silence fell between them, and Ginny was pleasantly surprised to see that Draco didn't look uncomfortable in her house, and he didn't seem to mind that it wasn't as grand as he was used to. She thought of how this would be the last time for a long time that she'd be able to see him and talk to him privately.

As if hearing her thoughts, Draco stated, "So tomorrow you leave."

"Well, leave Grimmauld," Ginny replied. "My mum and I are coming here tomorrow because most of my school stuff is here and I have to pack. But the train doesn't leave until the day after that."

"Are your parents coming back to stay at headquarters?"

"I don't know. Maybe…they might just stay here since I won't be around anymore."

Draco sighed. "Hmm. What classes are you taking?" He watched as Ginny swallowed some of her tea and closed her eyes, trying to remember all of her classes.

"Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures."

"Why that class?" Draco asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Because I like it," Ginny replied. "Hagrid's a fun teacher.

Draco mumbled something under his breath, but Ginny didn't catch it. Clearing his throat, Draco asked, "Any idea who the new Defense teacher is?"

"Hopefully a normal one this time. But no, I don't know for sure. My letter didn't say."

"And Head Boy and Girl…" Draco contemplated. "I'm willing to bet that Head Boy comes from Ravenclaw, and Head Girl from Hufflepuff."

"What – no Slytherin or Gryffindor?"

"Nope." Draco shook his head. "All the smart Gryffindor's are either too young or weren't prefects, as in your case; and the Slytherins…well, they don't care as much about being Heads."

"So you're saying you wouldn't have liked it?" Ginny asked disbelievingly. She would have thought that Draco would kill to have that position.

"No, I would be one of the Slytherin exceptions," Draco said. "I would have so dearly loved to be able to dock points from your brother and Potter if they so much as breathed on me."

Ginny laughed. "You would've been stripped of your title had you done that."

"Perhaps, but it would have been wicked fun," Draco said, grinning at her.

Rolling her eyes, Ginny muttered, "Boys…"

"You know you love them," Draco replied smugly.

"Only because I can beat them in Quidditch."

"Maybe in your dreams."

"Didn't you know? My dreams always become reality."

"And what do you dream of, Ginny?" Draco asked, lowering his voice.

Ginny lowered her voice to the same tone as Draco's and replied innocently, "Just about everything except a handsome young man who thinks a bit too highly of himself."

Draco snorted again and hid a smile. "Coming from a cheeky young lady who doesn't appreciate the handsome young man enough."

This time both Draco and Ginny grinned at each other. "So you are still going to be playing Quidditch this year then?" Draco asked.

"You bet," said Ginny enthusiastically. "I've got that fancy broomstick you gave me for Christmas. I'd be crazy if I didn't play again."

"You got that right," Draco answered. "I went to a lot of effort to get that broom for you and I might take offense if you don't use it."

"That's bull, Draco," laughed Ginny. "You know you won that broom in a raffle."

"Well all the same," said Draco as he shifted positions in his chair, "I went to a lot of trouble to pluck up the nerve to give it to you."

The two of them reminisced on other parts of their year for a while longer, and though it was starting to get late, Ginny couldn't bring herself to suggest that they go back. She wanted to savor this moment and lock it away in her memory, because she knew that once she got back to school, it would be a very long time before she got to seem him again.

However, Ginny couldn't stop herself from yawning, and when several more yawns followed, Draco noticed. Glancing at their large family clock, he said, "It's half past ten. We should probably get going, or someone's bound to notice us."

"The lack of us, you mean," Ginny said between yawns as she stood. She took their teacups and quickly washed and dried them so that her mother wouldn't notice the dirty dishes upon their arrival tomorrow.

As Draco was stepping towards the fireplace, Ginny said, "Wait. If you can bear to be in my presence for just a little while longer, there's something I want to show you."

Draco contemplated the idea longer than necessary before he shrugged and said in a bored voice that didn't fool Ginny one bit, "I suppose I'll manage."

Smiling brightly, Ginny took Draco's hand once more and led him outside. One thing Ginny had always loved about her house was the yard. Behind the garden that the gnomes lived in –much to her mother's chagrin– was a large hill. Their house sat in the field at the bottom of the hill, and Ginny had always loved to climb the grassy slope and just sit and look down at everything she loved. She recalled how the night before she left for Grimmauld Place, she had sat up there under the moonlight and just thought things over. Now she wanted to share that with Draco.

"What exactly are we doing?" Draco asked.

"We're going to sit," Ginny said.

"Sit?"

"Mm-hmm," Ginny said serenely. She glanced at Draco and with the moonlight shining on him, his normally pale face seemed to glow. She looked back up at the sky, and to her delight, it was clear, revealing all of the stars that had so far made their appearance.

Ginny, still holding onto Draco's hand, led the way up the hill, stumbling slightly on the uneven ground; but she was used to this walk and didn't fall. On the other hand, Draco was slightly less sure of himself and took to holding onto Ginny's side rather tightly to make sure he didn't fall; Ginny didn't mind this in the least.

When they reached the top of the hill, Ginny plopped down in the grass with a whoosh, pulling Draco down beside her. For a moment, the two just sat there, gazing down the hill to the tall, crooked house, the moonlight creating a captivating appearance. Ginny noticed that the weedy grass had grown since she had been here two months ago, for when she had walked through it, it had tickled her knees. Ginny loved the grass when it was this long, because when she would lie back in it, it surrounded her on all sides and she felt that she was lost to the world, as if the grass somehow protected her from the hardships that awaited her elsewhere. Behind them, especially, the grass was very long. A thick woods rested nearly fifty yards behind them, a woods which Ginny and her brothers had haunted frequently when they were kids.

"What do you think?" Ginny asked Draco, who was still taking in their surroundings.

"I think…" said Draco slowly, "that you must have been one lucky kid to grow up with all of this space belonging just to you."

Ginny grinned and folded her legs under her. "When I was little and my brothers played Quidditch, they never let me play with them, so I would always come up here and watch. And when they played in the winter, I would make snowballs and wait for them to get close enough so that I could hit them."

"Target practice?" Draco chuckled. "Sounds fun."

"It was. I suppose it helped spark my interest in being a Chaser, trying to get all that aim right. It helped for when I got older."

"And I bet," added Draco as he gazed down the hill, "that this must have been one wicked hill to sled down when it snowed."

"Oh it was," said Ginny, her eyes lighting up. "We all used to have races down the hill, and as soon as Fred and George were old enough to have their own wands, they were doing all sorts of things to make their sleds go faster."

"Things like what?"

"Like…I remember one time," Ginny recalled with a smile, "when they actually got Percy to come out and play in the snow, they took his sled when he wasn't watching and charmed the bottom so that it was covered with oil, and when Percy very hesitantly started down the hill, he went so fast that he wiped out and broke his arm." She laughed as she remembered the look on Percy's face when he had found out later that it was the twins' fault; their mother had punished them for quite a while.

"I was never able to go sledding," Draco said quietly.

Ginny looked over at him, surprised. "You haven't? Ever?"

"Nope. My father didn't like those sorts of games. Most of the time he didn't want me playing outside anyway unless it was for Quidditch."

"Well, if you ever get around here in the winter time, I'll make sure that you get to go sledding."

"I'd like that," said Draco with a nod. "Just make sure that those twin brothers of yours –actually any brother of yours– stays away from my sled."

"Will do," Ginny laughed, before sighing again with content. "I loved coming up here. It was always so peaceful."

"And it wasn't in your house?"

"No, it was nice there too," Ginny admitted. "It was just always so noisy and busy. When I come up here and lie down, all I can see is the sky, and when that's all I can see, then I can be anywhere in the world I want."

"And where did you want to be?"

Ginny sighed. "I don't know, lots of places I guess, most of them places I'd never been before. I had a very active imagination and used to pretend a lot," she said with a smile.

Draco smiled at her and then looked back at the ground. Ginny noticed his smile slip slightly. "What's on your mind?" she asked.

Draco looked over at her and shrugged. "Nothing. I was just thinking about you going back to school."

"Not having second thoughts about you and me, are you?" she asked, only partly joking.

"No, no, it's not that," Draco said quickly. "No, I was just thinking about all of the guys that are going to be after you."

"After me?" Ginny asked, trying not to laugh. "What am I, a juicy piece of meat being thrown into a den of hungry wolves?"

"You'd be surprised at how accurate that is, actually," Draco said mysteriously, causing Ginny's smile to disappear in surprise. "I just hope that if some handsome guy comes up to you asking you for a date that you don't say yes."

"You know I wouldn't do that," Ginny said, shocked that Draco would even suggest such a thing. "Even if every guy in Hogwarts offered me fame and fortune, I wouldn't buy it."

Draco smirked. "Really? Because I have a friend who's interested."

"Do you now?" Ginny asked, a small smile pulling at her lips. "Well I'm afraid you'll just have to tell him that I'm already taken."

"Oh really?" inquired Draco as if this was news to him. "By who? Anybody I know?"

Ginny's smile grew and she looked at Draco out of the corner of her eye before looking back down the field with a little sigh. "I don't know. Maybe. He's tall, really handsome –"

"Mm-hmm…"

"–very smart, he has a lot of money…"

"Is that all you like about him?"

"No," continued Ginny. "He's also really strong, he's very kind to me, he's one of the bravest people I know," she ticked these off on her fingers as she went. "And when he's not fighting with my brother, he actually has a great sense of humor."

"He sounds just about perfect to me," Draco said casually, picking at the grass.

"Well…_almost_ perfect," Ginny added.

Draco turned to look at her. "What's wrong with him then?"

Ginny glanced to her left and right as if to make sure that nobody was listening, though she knew perfectly well they were alone. Leaning closer to Draco, she motioned him towards her. When Draco's face was barely an inch from hers and her mouth rested just below his ear, Ginny whispered, "He's absolutely horrible at Quidditch."

Giggling madly at the stunned look on Draco's face, which quickly turned angrily indignant, Ginny leapt up from the ground and started running towards the woods. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Draco chasing after her, and she ran harder. When she was halfway towards the woods, she turned around to see where Draco was, only to have him crash into her, knocking them both to the ground.

Ginny squealed as Draco landed on top of her and immediately started tickling her sides. Desperately, Ginny tried to keep his hands away, but he was too quick; she even tried to kick herself free, but Draco had pinned her legs between his own and was not about to give up easily.

"Take it back," he said, trying to keep a straight face, but Ginny, through her tears of laughter, could see his mouth twitch. "Take it back or you're bound to die of laughter."

"I take it back," Ginny panted. "I take it back."

Several lazy seconds later, Draco stopped his tickling. Ginny stared up at him breathlessly, her sides aching from her laughter. Her wild grin faded until she was merely smiling expectantly up at him. His body, Ginny noticed, was blocking the moonlight, and she suddenly noticed how dark the night was. And in that moment, as Draco gazed heatedly down at her, Ginny thought, _He's going to kiss me. I know he's going to kiss me. He has to…  
_

And indeed, cutting the thought from her mind, Draco leaned down and kissed her, placing his hands on either side of her head for support.

At first, Draco kissed her as gently as he ever had, and Ginny, lying there with her arms at her sides, was thoroughly enjoying it. But as Draco pushed his mouth harder against hers, Ginny's hand snaked up his arm and settled itself in his hair. She pulled his body closer to hers, and as she could feel his stomach rest on top of her own, pleasant shivers raced down her back.

Wrapping her other arm around Draco's back, Ginny lightly traced the muscles underneath his clothing. Ginny tilted her head as Draco's lips moved from her mouth down to her neck, right below her jaw. Sighing quietly, Ginny closed her eyes, loving the feel of Draco's body so close to hers; it made her heart race in an altogether pleasing way, as it always seemed to do when Draco kissed her.

As Draco moved his mouth back to her lips and kissed her with even more force than before, he ran his other hand down her side, now only supporting himself with one arm. A quiver ran through Ginny's stomach as she felt Draco's hand rest on the top of her hip, and she wondered if she would ever get used to this, if it would ever grow old to her. She soon decided that she would never grow tired of this, and that the feelings he induced in her was what made kissing him so pleasurable.

The moon, as usual, shone down brightly, and there was not much that escaped illumination. However, the tall grass surrounding them, molding around the shape of their bodies, cast a shadow over them.

Little did Draco and Ginny know that they were seconds away from danger, and that lying in that tall, wavy grass was what saved their lives that night.

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**A/N:** Originally, the ending of this chapter was only the halfway point of the chapter, but since it was getting so long and I was left with a convenient cliffhanger, I decided to end it there. But since I already had another half of a chapter planned, it shouldn't take too long to update.

Also, if you haven't already figured out what the "danger" they are in is, just think a little bit more, and it'll come to you. I've already hinted at what it is if you read the past chapters carefully.

Review please! Oh, and that reminds me of something…**padfootedmoony**, I know I told you that you'd get the answer to your question in this chapter, but the answer is actually in the half of the chapter that I decided to hold off since this was getting so long. It's in the next chapter, I promise!

Lauren


	9. Too Soon to Say Goodbye

I seem to remember telling you guys at the end of the last chapter that this one wouldn't take long to post. I swear I didn't mean to wait two more weeks! I actually had about half of it written two days after I posted the last chapter, but then everything got crazy and I didn't have time to finish it until today. Sorry about the wait!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of this.

**Chapter 9: Too Soon to Say Goodbye**

Draco would never be able to remember exactly what had alerted him to the presence of danger that night; it might have been the way that the breeze eerily died off, the sound of twigs snapping in the woods behind them, or simply the acute sense that something was off.

Whatever it was, Draco lifted his head from Ginny and looked about, but the foot-high grass blocked his view.

"Draco, what –"

"Ssh," Draco hissed. His body still lying on top of Ginny's, he reached into his cloak and silently pulled out his wand. In the distance, he could hear voices, and with a pang of dread, he knew he recognized one of them. Ginny, too, seemed to have finally heard them, for her body tensed.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" one voice said faintly. Draco strained his ears to hear better, but as the voices got closer, this became unnecessary.

"We've gone over this before, Alvin," came the voice of Lucius Malfoy.

"Bu-but the Weasleys are very well liked at the Ministry. We could get into trouble if we do this."

"Do you think I still care about trouble with the Ministry?"

"But what if they're still up?"

Draco could practically hear his father's sneer, and he pressed himself closer to Ginny, hoping that they were out of sight.

"I couldn't care less if they were sleeping or not. He said that she was with the Weasley girl, so to the Weasley house we go. What – you're not regretting coming along, are you?"

"No – no, not at all. I'm just wondering what the Ministry is going to say when they find them all dead."

Underneath him, Draco could feel Ginny squirm uncomfortably, and he squeezed her shoulder in an attempt at comfort, though inside, his own stomach was clenching.

Lucius sighed, obviously frustrated. "Listen carefully, alright? They kidnapped my wife and have been blackmailing me for several months now; if I had told anybody about it, they'd kill her – that's what I'll tell the Ministry, and they'll eat it out of the palm of my hand. And as the story goes, the Weasleys contacted me and told me to come to their house if I wanted my wife back. I, being the loving and worried husband, came at once. When I got to the house, the Weasleys tried to kill me. It was a situation of kill or be killed, and the best wizard won. Who knows, I may even be able to tell them that they kidnapped my son as well, and my story will double in credibility."

"It sounds like a good plan…"

"Of course it is," snapped Lucius, and Draco noticed that the two Death Eaters were now out of the woods and getting closer and closer. Draco gripped his wand tighter, ready to curse his father if they were spotted, but to his relief, they weren't. Lucius and the other Death Eater walked right by without seeing the two bodies in the grass. They paused at the edge of the hill and looked down at the house.

"There aren't any lights on," the man called Alvin stated.

"Which means they are asleep…" Lucius said slowly. He sighed with pleasure, and Draco wondered how long they were going to stand there on the hill. Already his nerves were taking a beating, and if either Lucius or Alvin turned around, they might be able to spot Draco and Ginny.

"It will make it all the easier, though I still haven't decided how I'm going to kill them yet," said Lucius. "I suppose I can't Avada them all right off the bat, because then the Ministry might suspect something. And yet…I can't Crucio them either, because if I was battling them all at once, I wouldn't have time to. I've looked forward to killing them for so long, and now that I get the chance, I can't do it the way I want," he sighed. To his relief, Draco heard them start down the hill. "Oh well. I suppose to make it plausible, there must be a few sacrifices on my part as well. Perhaps I'll Stupefy a few of them first and then kill them…"

Their voices faded away, and for several minutes, Draco didn't move. He looked down at Ginny and saw that her eyes were wide, staring up at the sky in either fright or anger, he couldn't decide which. When he thought that it was safe, Draco slid off of Ginny and carefully sat up; he could only see the top of the house in the distance and wasn't able to see if his father was there yet, but he couldn't hear their voices anymore, so he thought it safe to talk.

"We have to get out of here," he said.

"No!" Ginny whispered furiously. "That's my house! They'll destroy it!"

"Better the house than you," Draco argued. "Didn't you hear what they said? They came here tonight to kill you! And your family, whichever of them was here!" Though he kept his voice as low as possible, Draco knew they were still in danger of being heard.

"But –"

"No, come on, Ginny," he said. And without waiting for another reply, he grabbed her wrist and concentrated on his room in Grimmauld Place. In another instant, both he and Ginny were there. Immediately Draco locked his door and placed a silencing charm on the room so that they wouldn't be heard.

"Why were they there?" Ginny demanded angrily. "They have no right to do that! They'll destroy the place!"

Draco sighed, relieved at their easy escape yet still shaken up at being so nearly caught. "I don't know what they were doing. My father said…he said something like – what did he say? 'He said that she was with the Weasley girl.' That must mean my mother –wait…"

He rounded on Ginny. "Who saw you and my mother today?"

"In Diagon Alley?"

"Yes."

"Nobody. She was disguised."

"Nobody recognized you?"

"How could they?" Ginny asked. "She looked nothing like your mother and we didn't –" She broke off with a gasp, her hand coming up to her mouth.

"What?" Draco asked, looking at Ginny's shocked face. "What is it?" But Ginny didn't answer. She just stood there, staring into space, her eyes wide in disbelief. "Ginny, for Merlin's sake, what the devil is it?"

"Someone did recognize her," Ginny said slowly. "I didn't make anything of it until now. But your mum wanted a wand so before we left we stopped in at Ollivander's and got her one."

"You did what?" Draco bellowed, his face betraying his anger. "You didn't think you'd be recognized? Ollivander knows who everybody is! He's like Dumbledore; a simple disguise wouldn't have fooled him, and especially not if she was buying a wand."

"I'm sorry!" Ginny shouted at him. "I didn't think it was a big deal. He recognized her, but he said that he'd keep it a secret!"

"And you believed him?" Draco asked incredulously.

"I don't know!" said Ginny defensively. "I honestly didn't think much of it."

Draco sighed and closed his eyes, willing his temper away. It would do good if he blew up at Ginny. Instead, he said a bit more calmly, if tightly, "So she told him that she was running from my father?"

"No, she made it seem like she was still together with him, just like she didn't want anybody to know she was purchasing another wand."

Frustrated, Draco let the air out of his mouth slowly, turning in the room to gather his thoughts. So Mr. Ollivander was working with Lucius Malfoy now? Draco hadn't suspected that one; he hadn't even thought of the wand-maker as an evil or violent person. How had he been swayed to the dark side? And how long had he been there?

"So," Ginny said slowly, the confusion of the night still sinking in, "he's a Death Eater, then…"

"Seems like it," Draco muttered, turning back to face her. "Merlin's beard, Ginny, do you realize how much danger you were in? Had your family been at home and not here, you'd be dead. Or if you and I had stayed in there just a while longer…"

He trailed off at the horrified look on Ginny's face, and he immediately regretted his words. That was her home his father was now invading, and who knew what kind of damage was being done. Walking towards Ginny, he took her his arms and held her tightly, his own heart beating uncomfortably at the thought that he might have lost Ginny that night. And it was all his fault too, he realized. He remembered how at last year at school he had wanted Ginny to erase his memories for this very reason – then he'd have no association with Ginny and she would be in no danger from his father. When that plan hadn't worked, both Draco and Ginny had insisted that they'd find another way to stay safe from Lucius Malfoy. Draco realized guiltily that he hadn't done that, and that it had almost cost Ginny and her family their lives.

Adding to his guilt, he noticed that Ginny was trembling slightly and he berated himself for yelling at her earlier. He looked down at her, biting his lip, but her face was buried in his shoulder and she wouldn't meet his gaze. Draco grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, and he nearly cursed himself for the frightened look in her eyes.

"That's…that's my house…" she whispered. "They could be doing anything. Once he realizes that we're not there, that your mum isn't there, he'll…he'll…" she trailed off in a shaky sigh, closing her eyes to compose herself.

"It's alright," Draco said, holding her head against his shoulder comfortingly. "Most likely when he finds that there's nothing there, he'll just leave." Though Draco doubted that this was true, he didn't want to scare Ginny anymore. So he just continued to hold her, his arms placed firmly around her, waiting for her to calm down.

Eventually she did, and when Ginny looked up, Draco was relieved to see that her eyes had regained a bit of the fiery spark he loved.

"Wait a moment…" she said slowly, untangling herself from Draco's arms. She paced the room, her arms folded across her chest in concentration. "What did your father say? Something about you being at our house too?"

"I think so," Draco replied with a frown. "Why?"

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Ginny asked, looking at Draco in confusion. "Back at school right before graduation, remember?"

"I remember."

"He killed you down in the tunnel. Only you didn't die because you had on Oleaney's ring. But your father thinks you're dead."

Draco sat down on the bed, his mind putting together what Ginny was telling him. Ever since he had arrived at Grimmauld Place that summer, he knew that he couldn't leave the house for fear of being seen, and being seen was bad, Draco knew. Lucius thought that Draco had died in the tunnel, and being spotted would alert him to the truth. Yet now that Draco thought on it more, he realized something, and Ginny too seemed to be coming to the same conclusion.

"Dumbledore of course didn't tell anybody about you dying," she said slowly.

Draco stared at the floor, feeling bitter because he hadn't thought about this earlier. "And if I had actually died in that school," he said, "news would have been all over the place. Eventually I would have been reported missing and they would have found me sooner or later down in that tunnel. The truth would have come out."

"But it didn't, because you came back and you were seen at school."

"So why didn't my father, thinking that I was dead, tell someone that I was missing, that I didn't come home from school?"

Ginny bit her lip. "I don't know. Maybe…maybe he thought someone had been down in the tunnel with you and that whoever it was would come back and find out and that they'd report it, so he never bothered."

"It's possible," Draco said. "And so when nothing happened, when he got no owls saying that I didn't get on the train, saying that I hadn't been seen for a day or two, he got suspicious."

Ginny frowned and sat down next to Draco. "But how could he possibly know that you survived? He used Avada Kedavra and only Harry's survived it before."

"Maybe that's one reason why he's so keen to find me is to ask me about it. He would love to be able to give Voldemort a way to beat Avada…"

"Hold on," Ginny said. "What did you do with the ring anyway?"

"I gave it back to Oleaney," Draco replied, remembering back to his last day at Hogwarts. "You were gone when I did it."

"Oh…"

Draco rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of everything. "So my father knows that I'm not dead," he stated. "I suppose it doesn't make too much of a difference. I mean, I wasn't allowed out of here anyway for fear I'd be seen and he'd think me come back from the dead. Now I still can't go out, but because he'll see me and kill me or something."

"Likely do worse," Ginny spat. "Knowing him and what he's capable of. He's probably trashing my house right now." She wrung her hands together as a steely look came over her face. "Oh if I ever get my hands on him, I'll teach him a thing or two."

A fleeting image of Ginny triumphantly kicking his father in the side as he lay prostrate before her brought a weak laugh to Draco's lips, and he sighed as he looked at her. Her fierce look became a determined one, and she rose from the bed, once more back to pacing.

"If he's there tomorrow," she began, "I can't promise that I won't hurt him."

"There?" Draco asked, Ginny's meaning suddenly hitting him like a bomb. "You mean there as in your house?"

"Yeah."

"You're not going back there," Draco said, his eyebrows creased in a mixture of worry and anger.

"Oh yes I am," Ginny countered. "Me and my mum are going tomorrow, remember?" She looked at Draco challengingly, daring him to tell her not to go.

And Draco was certainly not afraid of her.

"There's no way in hell you're going back to that house," declared Draco hotly. "Who knows what he's done to the place and besides, he may be hiding there waiting for you to show up."

Ginny lifted her eyebrow in question. "Didn't you just say a few minutes ago that when he found nobody at my house, he'd leave?"

"That was – then and this…is…" Draco sputtered, caught off guard. Quite out of character, Ginny smirked at him.

"So no worries then," she said, her smirk melting into what she knew to be her most charming smile. "I can handle myself. And if your father is stupid enough to hang around waiting to be seen by someone, then he can't be as difficult to handle as we thought."

"Ginny, you don't know him," Draco said heavily, coming to stand before her. "He could easily kill your entire family without even blinking. It's too dangerous to go back."

"So what, then, I just go to Hogwarts with only half of my stuff packed up in a napkin or something?" Ginny asked incredulously. "I have to go back. People will start to wonder if I don't."

"Well tell them something, then."

"Tell them what?"

"I don't know, make up some excuse. Or better yet, tell them the truth."

Ginny looked at Draco disbelievingly. "Tell them that the two of us, who aren't supposed to like each other very much, snuck out tonight and went all by ourselves to my house, where we saw your father and some other gooney breaking in? Yeah, somehow I don't think that's a good idea." She folded her arms over her chest and frowned.

Draco sighed and pushed back his hair in frustration. "Then just tell them that you and only you went to get a head start on packing or something. I don't know. Be creative."

"Draco."

"What?"

"I don't know if you've noticed in the past months or not, but I am a rather lazy person," Ginny stated slowly. "If I told my mum that I went to get a head start on packing, she'd probably think me off my rocker. It won't work. Look," she said as she saw Draco's protest on his face, "it'll be fine. I'll be fine. My mum will be fine. And when my dad comes later tomorrow, he'll be fine. We'll be there one night and then I'll be back at Hogwarts." She looked at Draco softly, her eyes trying to reassure him though Draco knew that if she went back to her house, he wouldn't be able to rest easily at all.

"Please?" she asked, and as Draco looked deep into her eyes, those warm, brown eyes he loved to lose himself in, he could feel his resolve crumbling even as he formed another weak protest. But Ginny silenced him by placing her finger over his lips, and just feeling her skin against his caused a familiar rush of pleasure to flow through Draco. Even as Draco was contemplating whether to kiss Ginny or ignore her and tell her to forget about going to her house, she leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth, and Draco's latter idea flew out the window.

He tried to kiss her back, but Ginny moved her mouth downwards, placing another kiss on his jaw. Draco closed his eyes as Ginny kissed all the way down his neck to just under his ear, and with a groan, he pulled Ginny's body to his so fast that she let out a startled squeak.

Draco crashed his mouth down on top of Ginny's hard enough that she stumbled backward; and with her hands still clinging to Draco's shirt, she pulled him with her. At that moment, Draco couldn't concentrate on anything except the need to have Ginny's body as close to his as possible, and he pushed against her further, backing her up against his dresser. Ginny's body bent backwards slightly as Draco hungrily leaned in further. She matched the passion in Draco's kiss, and as she stirred against him, it was as if hot trails of fire coursed through Draco's blood.

Much sooner than Draco would have liked, Ginny slipped out from around Draco, leaving him confused and slightly disappointed.

A breathless Ginny, who, Draco was pleased to note, swayed a little on her feet broke out in a delighted grin and said, "So you'll let me go then?"

"What?" Draco asked dumbly; he frowned, and then her question suddenly made sense to him. A growl escaped his lips. "You are a tease…"

To both Draco's annoyance and amusement, Ginny's grin grew even bigger. "A girl's gotta do –"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever gets her boyfriend to agree with her, I know all about it," Draco drawled, though he felt a smile starting to wiggle free. Since when had Ginny become so manipulative? Delightfully so, but still…it wasn't something he saw from her too often. He enjoyed her method immensely, though.

Draco sighed, looking contemplatively at Ginny. He remembered how she used to tell him that she would be able to handle Lucius and that she could take care of herself. But now that a situation had arisen in which her skill might be tested, would Draco be able to let her go?

"I'll be alright," Ginny said softly, coming closer to Draco. "Honestly." She placed another soft, gentle kiss on Draco's mouth and let it hang there for a few seconds before she pulled back and looked up into his eyes.

Sighing again, Draco felt his head nod. "Alright…"

Ginny's face broke out in a delighted smile and she hugged Draco tightly, her hands pressing his back close to her. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear before pulling away. "And you'll see. Everything will be alright. Just uh…" she hesitated, her eyes skittering away from Draco's.

"What is it?" he asked, hoping she might have changed her mind.

"Just…try and somehow convince my parents to stay here at Grimmauld after I'm back at school," Ginny said slowly. "Just in case, yeah?"

Draco nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll try. Don't worry about it. But you have to promise me one other thing," he said, once again serious. He pulled Ginny into his arms and looked down at her, and she up at him expectantly.

"What?" she asked breathlessly.

"When you get to school, you tell Dumbledore about Ollivander recognizing my mother with you in Diagon Alley, and you tell him about seeing Lucius and the other Death Eater looking at your house. He'll know what to do about it."

"But then won't everybody else know that we were there? At my house?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders, a smile playing on his face. "I doubt it. Strange –and slightly eerie– as it seems, Dumbledore seems to have taken an interest in our relationship. I think he'll try to keep quiet about how he found out about it."

Ginny smiled and stood a little taller; though she had grown some over the summer, Draco still towered over her. As Draco leaned down, Ginny's head tilted to the side, her mouth resting less than an inch from Draco's. "So this is goodbye then, isn't it?" she whispered. "It seems too soon to say goodbye. But…" she sighed, "we might not be able to see each other tomorrow, you know."

"I know," Draco admitted, his eyes darting down to Ginny's lips before back to her eyes. "So is this goodbye…yeah, I guess, for now at least. Until you come home for Christmas, that is…"

Draco's thought trailed off as Ginny pulled his head down, causing his lips to meet hers. He could feel her impatience and want for a heated kiss like earlier, but Draco insisted on starting slowly again, feeding her eagerness with anticipation. His hands caressing her face lightly as his lips worked against hers, Draco savored her taste and committed to memory the feel of her soft body so close to his.

That task completed, Draco unleashed himself, startling an exclamation out of Ginny as he suddenly gave into the desire that was awakening within him, and he pulled Ginny's body flush against his own, trapping her against the wall. His hands began a fevered descent from Ginny's neck to her waist, only to climb back up and bury themselves in her vibrant red hair as he pushed himself even closer to her. Their mouths worked in a frenzy, each trying to gain the upper hand; and then Draco felt Ginny surrender to him and lean her full weight against him. Draco could actually feel her knees shaking against his own, and he smiled against her, satisfied, as he always was with her. Though Draco never took things farther than kissing, he never felt unsatisfied with what Ginny was willing to give him.

However, tonight, Draco could feel his body start to respond to Ginny's and before he completely lost the self-control he already felt slipping from him, he pushed away from her, his hands on her shoulders. For a moment, Ginny and Draco just stared at each other intensely, and then Draco crushed her body against his in a fierce hug, burying his neck in her shoulder.

Draco held her for a long time before he gently released her. He could practically see the smile in her eyes, though he thought there was some sadness there too. His own face softened into a smile and he said, "Goodbye, then."

Taking a deep breath, Ginny returned his smile and kissed him lightly once more. "Bye," she replied, her voice soft but steady. Turning slowly, she walked to Draco's door and opened it. She turned and smiled one last time at Draco before closing the door behind her.

* * *

It was with a great deal of self-control that Ginny refrained from looking at Draco during lunch the next day. She had woken up and received a surprise when she learned that it was eleven 'o clock; she rarely ever slept that late. And considering how jumbled her thoughts had been the night before, she was shocked to find that she had slept soundly.

And so during lunch, as Ginny's stomach leapt and bounced at the thought of returning home and leaving Draco, she remained quiet, staring down at her plate. She knew Draco was a few seats down the table, and she knew that he still didn't want her going to her house knowing that Lucius Malfoy had just been there, but she was determined. If she couldn't even feel secure in her own house and couldn't manage the courage to inspect it to make sure it was safe, then she wouldn't last long in life, she knew.

Besides, returning home was not what tore Ginny's insides apart; it was the thought of going back to school by herself for the first time in her life. Since she was eleven years old, she had been the young one; she had known that there was always someone a year older than her lurking about. But now, she was the old one, the seventh year. She was also going to be alone, she knew. There would be no Hermione to talk to about girl things, no Ron or Harry to talk Quidditch with. Of course, she had a few friends and people she talked to – Colin, Luna, and a smattering of others. But nobody she was really close to. And most of all, there would be no Draco.

That was perhaps what frightened Ginny the most. What would happen to them when she returned to school? Would they stay together? Would they drift apart? Come back over the holidays and find that they had changed? Ginny didn't think that anything would be able to dampen what she felt for Draco, and she was fairly confident that he wouldn't just abandon her; he had looked painfully worried a time or two when they talked about Ginny returning to school. She knew things were hard for him, especially here. Besides his mother, Ginny was the only one he really talked to; he and Harry and Ron were still fighting, all of them stubbornly refusing to work together. She thought it was rather childish, but she didn't dare tell any of them that. She knew that sooner or later they'd come around to the fact that they wouldn't get anywhere with the Order unless they got along. It just seemed like it would be later rather than sooner.

When Ginny was nearly done with her sandwich, Molly Weasley stood from the table. "Are you about ready to leave, Ginny?"

"Yes," Ginny replied, swallowing her last bite. "I just have to get my bags."

Ginny risked a side-long look at Draco and saw that he was determinedly staring at the wall opposite him, his face practically set in stone.

Slowly, Ginny rose from the table and went up to her room to get her things. Since there wasn't enough room in the suitcase she had brought from home, she had shrunk the school things she'd bought and stuck them on top of her clothes. Grabbing her bag with a sigh, trying to quell the nerves that started rising within her, Ginny left her room and walked downstairs.

"Ready?" Mrs. Weasley asked with a smile; her own bags were already packed and sitting by the front door.

"Yeah," said Ginny. She saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ewan all standing around. But as she stumbled over the goodbyes she couldn't even remember a few seconds later, her mind was only on one person. Her eyes traveled over the hallway, hoping to catch some glimpse of him, and then she saw him, gazing around the corner. Just the sight of him seemed to calm the jitters in her stomach, and she risked a smile at him before turning around.

"Are we Apparating?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, it's easier than bringing all this stuff through Floo," said Mrs. Weasley. "Grab my arm now, dear. We really should think about having you take lessons for this…"

Ginny, her suitcase in one hand and her mother's arm in her other, shut her eyes and took a deep breath as they Apparated out of Grimmauld Place and back to her home. What awaited for her, she didn't know. Would her house even still be there? Had Lucius Malfoy been so enraged that he had blown it up or burnt it down? Would he be hiding in a closet somewhere, ready to jump out and murder them on the spot?

All of these questions and many more traveled through Ginny at an alarming rate, but before she could even think that maybe Draco had been right about not returning to the house, she and her mother were standing in their kitchen.

"Ah, home sweet home," said Mrs. Weasley. "We really were gone too long, I think. I didn't like having to do that."

"Yeah…" mumbled Ginny, her eyes darting everywhere, looking for anything out of the normal. But so far, everything seemed as it should be. She glanced at their family clock and noticed with a bit of relief that nobody's hand was pointing to mortal peril. Surely that was a good sign…wasn't it? Even so, Ginny was cautious. Her mother had already taken her own bags up to her bedroom and was starting to unpack. But Ginny, her wand out and ready, searched her entire downstairs carefully before going up the stairs.

She left her mother in her parents room, deciding to search there later. On the way up to her own room, she checked each of the closets, bathrooms, and her brothers' rooms, forgoing her own and walking all the way up the staircase to Ron's bedroom. The only thing that moved up there was the ghoul in the attic, which banged on the pipes in greeting.

Sighing, her heart rate starting to return to normal when she realized that just maybe the house was empty, Ginny walked into her bedroom and nearly screamed when she saw what was lying on her bedroom floor.

It was one of the garden gnomes, and it was dead. There were small pools of dark red blood on the floor around the gnome, which had deep gashes all over its body; it looked as if someone had taken a knife and started to hack away at it.

Ginny could feel nausea rise in her stomach, but she swallowed it down and took a deep breath, noticing with anger that the blood had stained her floor. "Damn you, Lucius Malfoy," she said quietly, staring forlornly at the mess. She looked over to the window and saw that it was open, the summer wind blowing in her curtain. She was positive that the window had been shut when she'd left earlier that summer. Besides, there was no way a gnome would have done this to himself.

With a few quick waves of her wand, the blood and gnome disappeared, but even still, Ginny avoided walking over that part of the floor. Just knowing what had lain there gave her the shivers, and she couldn't bring herself to step on it.

Instead, Ginny shut her window and did a thorough search of the rest of her room. Nothing else out of the ordinary turned up, for which Ginny was grateful for, but she couldn't help the anger she felt at Lucius Malfoy. How dare he come into _her_ home, her own _bedroom_, and do this.

And yet, even as Ginny vented her frustration by unpacking her suitcase with more force than necessary, she realized that a dead garden gnome was probably a better welcome-home gift than she might have received. In fact, Lucius Malfoy might even have considered it gracious of him. While Ginny certainly didn't want to come home and find a Death Eater waiting for her, she couldn't help but imagine how wonderful it would be to curse that Malfoy good and hard right now, show him a thing or two about decency.

Ginny knew, though, that this wouldn't be the end. He would probably be back, and when he did come next, the house might not be empty. Her father was coming later that evening after work, and he and her mother were staying here. Her parents could very well be home when Lucius came the next time, and Ginny didn't even want to imagine what Lucius would do to them.

She had already asked Draco to try and convince her parents to stay at Grimmauld Place, but how well would that work? Surely it would seem odd –if not downright suspicious– if Draco was so adamant that they stay; it wasn't even his house to invite them to. _So perhaps,_ theorized Ginny, _I should mention it. Tell them that it's easier to just stay put there and not travel back and forth all the time._

She didn't know whether it would work or not, but she prayed for all of their sakes that it would.

* * *

The next day, she said goodbye to her parents with a forced smile on her face. It felt strange to be the only one getting on the train, no Ron or Harry along for the ride. She could tell her parents were feeling the abnormality of it all as well, for their faces, though smiling, were tight.

Ginny had casually mentioned to her parents last night at dinner that it might be easier for the two of them if they remained at Grimmauld Place for the time being, but to her displeasure, her parents hadn't given any answer; in fact, they had seemed rather keen to stay at their own house. Without appearing suspicious, Ginny couldn't have pushed the subject any further. Her hope now lay with Draco and what he might be able to do for them.

As Ginny stood in the crowded hallway of the Hogwarts Express, she shook her mind from those musing and instead focused on what exactly she should do now that there wasn't anybody for her to sit with. She sighed. _Is this what this entire year is going to be like?_ _Nobody to sit or talk or laugh with? This is my seventh year, for crying out loud! I should be having a grand time. But no… _she thought irritably as she scraped her trunk through the hallway, trying not to step on anybody's feet. _I have to be here by myself without a really good friend to talk to. And no Draco._

Sighing again, Ginny realized that the only thing these thoughts were going to bring her was depression, and she knew it was far too early in the year for her to be that sad. No, she'd just suck it up, trudge along, and count down the days until Christmas. _I'm Ginny Weasley, after all, _she thought determinedly, _and I'll be damned if I let myself ruin what's supposed to be the best year of my life._

Ginny finally stopped in front of a compartment and peered in the window, but it was full of people, so she moved on. It seemed as if most of the compartments were filled already, and she cursed herself for standing around so long. Now she'd never get one all to herself, which was what she wanted.

Reaching a compartment that had its window drawn shut, Ginny knocked. No answer came, and feeling hopeful, Ginny opened the door only to come face to face with a group of four or five Slytherin boys.

"Oh – I'm…sorry, didn't see you," mumbled Ginny, her face turning scarlet. She was just about to back out and shut the door when two of the boys sitting in the back of the compartment caught her eye. She knew them in an instant, realized that she'd probably recognize them in the dark. One of the boys had stringy brown hair and a greasy face that might have been handsome if it were washed more often, and the other boy had black hair so curly that it was hard to tell the actual length of it.

Neither of the boys moved; they simply stared back at her, cross looks on both of their faces. Then the brown-haired boy's eyes narrowed slightly and his lips curled into the tiniest of smirks, so calm and cool that Ginny shivered in spite of herself.

She hurriedly slammed the door, breathing heavily. Oh yes, she remembered those two boys. How could she forget the fear she'd felt when they'd held her to that couch, the look in their eyes as they'd realized how helpless she was? Even though she had escaped that situation after having knocked one of them out and giving the other a severe back eye, she had felt their eyes watching her for weeks after the incident. She had pushed them to the back of their mind several times, but their presence was always there.

Groaning, Ginny moved across the hall and peered into the compartment; to her relief, she saw only Luna Lovegood sitting inside, and Ginny knocked before opening the door.

"This place taken?" Ginny asked.

Luna looked up and smiled mistily. "Oh no, you can come in."

"Thanks," Ginny said gratefully. "Stupid me took too long getting on the train and now nearly everywhere else is full."

"Good thing I was here, then," Luna replied. "I kept the compartment nice and empty for you. Nobody really ever wants to sit with me."

Ginny gave a weak smile, feeling her heart go out to the nice, if somewhat odd, girl. It really was unfair the way people treated her just because she was slightly different. Wasn't everybody different, in a way?

"Well I sit with you," Ginny said, trying to lighten the mood. "Am I nobody, then?"

Luna seemed to think on this for a moment before saying slowly, "No. You are somebody."

"Well good then. I'd hate to think I've spent my whole life thinking I'm Ginny Weasley only to find out now that I'm a nobody." Ginny grinned when she saw Luna crack a smile.

"Yes, that would be a terrible thing. If you're nobody, you should at least figure it out early on in life. That way the shock isn't so bad later on."

Ginny continued to smile and shook her head in wonder. "So how was your summer, then?"

"Not too bad. My father and I went to Australia. They have the most wonderful creatures there," Luna said, a far-off look in her eye. "Lots of good times too. What about you? What did you do?"

"Oh, not much," Ginny replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I was lazy and slept a lot. The good old summer stuff. Hey," she said in an attempt to change the subject, "do you know who the Head Boy and Girl are this year?"

"I haven't a clue," said Luna. "Though I hope it's someone from Ravenclaw."

"I suppose so," Ginny murmured. "Well, any idea who the new Defense teacher is?"

"No, but I hope it's someone better than last year. Professor Juriac just seemed so out of it all the time, like his mind was never on the lesson."

_You have no idea,_ Ginny thought wryly.

"I suggested to him once that he might have gotten some dordleduffs in his ear, because those things just love to live in there, but he just chuckled at me and said he'd look into it." Luna shook her head with a sigh. "Anyway, I just hope the new teacher is someone normal. It seems the Defense position is always taken by someone really strange."

Ginny nodded her head, biting back a laugh at Luna's statement. But Luna was pulling out a magazine from her trunk and Ginny, seeing that the girl wanted to read, reached into her own trunk and pulled out a piece of parchment, some ink, and a quill. She recalled the letter she'd received from Reina Juriac earlier that summer, and also felt a stab of guilt that she had not yet replied. So she began to write.

_Dear Reina,_

_I'm sorry I haven't written back yet. I've just been really busy over the summer._

_I hope the renovation of your old house is going well. Tell your brother hello for me. _

_You were right about quite a few things in your last letter. Draco and I are doing fine. I'm on the train back to Hogwarts right now, and I'll confess that I'm a bit nervous about going back to school without him. It'll be weird not having him there. _

_Narcissa Malfoy is doing fine too. And I think you'll be happy to know that she and I have come to terms with each other. She knows that Draco and I are together, and surprising as it is, she's okay with it! I know, a big shocker, isn't it? I was surprised too. But what's really interesting is that she seems happy about it. Given how the two of us got along last year, I didn't think it'd ever be like this. But she seems different now, much calmer and nicer. She's even being kind to my family. Though, none of them know about Draco and me. I don't know when we'll tell them, but I think they'd all explode if I told them now. They need more time to just get used to the idea that Draco's on our side._

_Well, I hope you come back to England soon. It'll be even weirder for me if I have to go to Hogsmede and know that you're not there. But if you stay in America, I completely understand. _

_Ginny_

Satisfied, Ginny waved the letter in the air for a moment so that the ink would dry; it was also a good way to rid her hand of the tension that had built up during the writing process.

Just as Ginny was returning her letter and supplies to her trunk, she heard the trolley woman calling in the hallway for anybody who wanted treats. Luna's head popped up from behind her magazine and she stood, fumbling in her pocket for some change. She slid open the compartment door and Ginny could see Luna pick up a bag of cockroach clusters and pay for them.

Ginny shuddered slightly at the odd candy choice, but didn't say anything. However, just as Luna was coming back into the compartment, the door across from them opened and the two Slytherin boys came out. They stared into the girls' compartment for a moment, Ginny meeting their eyes. Ginny heard the trolley woman ask if they wanted anything, but they shook their heads. As the woman turned, she saw the black-haired boy snatch up a licorice wand.

Wrinkling her nose, Luna slammed the compartment door shut, and the two boys were blocked from site.

"Ugh, those two…" Luna muttered, opening her package of cockroach clusters.

"Who are they?" Ginny asked casually, hoping she didn't look or sound as curious as she felt; ever since that night last year, she had wondered about the two of them, but she hadn't dared to ask anybody.

"I don't know them myself," replied Luna. "They're fifth – oh no wait, I guess their sixth years now. Anyway, I've heard some of the Ravenclaw girls a year younger than us talk about them before; they're always saying how those two are always making trouble in their classes and harassing them."

"Huh," was all Ginny could manage to reply.

"I'm glad that we're not in their year," Luna said.

"Yeah…"

"Boys like that make me nervous. That's why I always wear my beetle shell bracelet," said Luna, holding up her wrist; Ginny saw a bracelet made out of what looked like black beetle shells on it, and she forced herself not to wrinkle her nose. "It's supposed to ward off boys like that."

"Hmm," was again all Ginny could manage to say. Her mind kept replaying the way that brown-haired boy had looked at her, and she desperately wanted to know their names. But since Luna was now going on about the different wards that existed that would repel people you didn't like, Ginny thought it might seem too suspicious if she brought up the subject again.

However, Ginny vowed that as soon as possible, she would find out more about the two of them.

A few hours later, after the train had arrived at Hogwarts, Ginny was sitting at the Gryffindor table, trying her best not to appear melancholy. Every time she glanced around the table and saw that so many familiar faces were gone, her throat tightened uncomfortably.

And especially when Ginny looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a certain silvery-blonde head of hair missing, the sadness hit her. But she did her best to smile as several people she knew came up and said hello. During the sorting, which she usually enjoyed, she couldn't concentrate; her mind was everywhere. What was Draco doing right now? Was he thinking about her? Was he missing her? Was he sad that she was gone? Happy? Ginny sighed. So many questions, yet there seemed to be absolutely no answer.

After the sorting ceremony was over, Dumbledore stood for his usual start-of-year speech. Ginny tried to pay attention, but Draco's voice seemed to jump inside her head. _When you get to school, tell Dumbledore about Ollivander recognizing my mother with you in Diagon Alley._ She frowned, wondering when she'd get the opportunity to tell him. Would there be a chance tonight? Ginny doubted it, not with it being the first night back at the castle. Well, perhaps she'd try for tomorrow, maybe before classes started. She didn't want to wait too long, for who knew what kind of trouble was brewing.

Ginny's thoughts were interrupted as she caught the last of Dumbledore's sentence.

"…will be taking the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year," Dumbledore said with a smile.

As polite applause broke out, Ginny cursed herself. _Great, _she thought. _I missed hearing who the new teacher is. Just great._ Clapping as well, she watched as the man stood up the staff table to acknowledge the applause before sitting down again. From what Ginny could tell, the man was only a few years older than her father. He was average-looking and nothing seemed too out of the ordinary or over the top, and so Ginny sat back with a relaxed sigh. _Perhaps this year won't be quite as abnormal as last year, then,_ she thought.

* * *

That night, back in Grimmauld Place, Draco found it hard to fall asleep. Just the thought that Ginny was no longer under the same roof as him, that she was miles and miles away, was almost too painful to think about. When he thought back to a year ago, it surprised him to learn how far he'd come. He wondered when exactly he had started to depend on other people so much; it used to be just him, just Draco Malfoy, and what bothered him was that he _used_ to be okay with that. But now…now things were different. There were people he had confided in, people he trusted, people who knew more about him now. There was his mother, whom he had gotten back; Draco had always thought that she didn't care about him one bit, and yet she had given up seventeen years of free will because she loved him. There was also Dumbledore, whom Draco had confided a great deal in. Sure, the old man was mysterious and downright odd at times, but Draco could see that underneath that exterior, the man was truly powerful.

And then there was Ginny, and for the life of him, Draco couldn't figure out what exactly it was that drew him to her. His father had taught Draco that the Weasleys were the epitome of wizard scum and should be avoided and degraded at all times no matter the cost. For quite a long time, Draco had believed that too and had even been proud of his father for sticking to the dignities of pure blood.

However, once Lucius Malfoy had begun controlling more of Draco and preparing him for becoming a Death Eater, Draco had started to wonder. Was his father really correct in his assumptions? Were the Weasley's really that bad of people? They were always smiling and seemed happy, so what was really all that wrong with them?

Those thoughts had crossed Draco's mind back at school, and he had mentally punished himself for thinking such things. And when in his seventh year Ginny had started hanging around him more, more of those thoughts had occurred, and Draco found it harder to push them away. What was more, he hadn't _wanted_ to push them away; because in Ginny, he had found a person who didn't care so much about his background and was willing to give him a fresh start.

Was that why Draco was so inexplicably attracted to her? Sure, the girl was beautiful, but the world was a sea of beautiful people. So what made her so special? Draco could honestly say that he wasn't attracted to her money, for her family had little of it. The only explanation Draco could come up with was that it was something inside her that seemed to draw him in. But what that something was, Draco didn't know.

He sighed and rolled over in bed. Draco had turned off the lights long ago in an attempt to fall asleep, but so far, it hadn't worked. His mind kept wandering all over the place, mainly around Ginny. He remembered that afternoon, when she and her mother had left Grimmauld Place. At the moment that they had disappeared, a state of panic had come over him. All sorts of disastrous thoughts had come to mind. Maybe her house would be crawling with Death Eaters, and as soon as they'd Apparated there, they would be surrounded and killed. Or maybe one or two were hiding inside, just waiting for a Weasley to show up. But then maybe the Death Eaters wouldn't have wanted to risk detection, so they would have placed curses on the house, ready to destroy anybody who tried to enter.

And with those thoughts in his mind, Draco had suddenly thought of something. He remembered back to his last school year, to the moment when he had learned that his mother was under the Imperius Curse. He recalled throwing a glass ball against the wall in frustration and discovering her letter sealed inside. And then he remembered exactly what that glass ball did, and that if he was holding it and said someone's name, he'd be able to see them.

Draco had then dashed up to his room and dug through a drawer to find that glass ball; he had almost forgotten about it, and indeed, had rarely used it. It was no bigger than Draco's fist and so he had no trouble finding it stuck in between some socks. As soon as he grabbed it, he had said Ginny's name, and at once he saw her. She had been creeping through her house, wand drawn and body tense. Draco's heart had seemed to hammer in his throat every time she threw open a closet door, and then it had seemed to fall at an alarming rate back down to his chest when he saw that every room was empty.

However, when she had gone into her own room and Draco had seen the dead gnome on the floor, he had thought momentarily that Lucius would come springing out from under Ginny's bed any minute and kill her. But he had been wrong, again, for nothing else had happened. Ginny, looking slightly shaken, had made the gnome disappear and proceeded to unpack; and Draco, feeling his anger at his father rise, had set the ball down.

Lying there in bed, just thinking back to the startled expression on Ginny's face when she'd walked into her room, Draco felt his temper pulsating again. The very idea that a Death Eater had been in Ginny's bedroom made Draco's blood boil. If he ever got his hands on his father, he'd repay him for every hurt he'd caused throughout the years.

Yet the fact was that Draco had absolutely no clue where his father was. If he did know, then he would be sorely tempted to just bugger Dumbledore's rule and march out of Grimmauld Place to wherever Lucius was hiding and hex him. _Oh yes,_ Draco thought grimly, _if only I could find out where that bastard is hiding, then I'd –_

Draco sat up so hard that he heard the bones in his neck crack in protest. Two things crossed Draco's mind just then – one: elation at the idea that had just occurred to him, and two: the knowledge that he was an idiot for not thinking of it sooner.

His heart quickening in excitement, Draco got out of bed and crossed his room to the dresser, upon which he had set the glass ball he'd used earlier. Not wasting anymore time, Draco picked up the ball and said, "Lucius Malfoy."

Draco watched, eager and breathless, waiting for something to happen. However, instead of the soft light that was supposed to appear in the ball and brighten to reveal an image of his father, the ball started vibrating, causing Draco to frown. The vibrations grew harder and a grayish color seemed to creep over the ball like fog, the grey turning darker and darker until it was pitch black. In his hands, the ball grew cold as ice, and Draco had to drop it because it was painful to hold.

Instead of breaking when the ball hit the floor, it simply thudded and continued to vibrate for a moment, creating a dull buzzing sound. And then, all at once, it stopped. It was so sudden of a change that Draco blinked in confusion. He bent down to his knees and peered at it, but nothing happened; it was as if the ball had died. It was just laying there, black as anything Draco had ever seen.

Cautiously he reached out a hand and touched it, and found it to be cold still, though not painfully so anymore. As he picked it up, Draco actually found that the ball was slowly warming back up to room temperature. Frowning a bit, still unsure about what had just happened, Draco said cautiously, "Lucius Malfoy."

Nothing happened. No bright light, no image, not even another vibration. Frowning harder, Draco said, "Ginny Weasley." Again, nothing.

Draco, now thoroughly perplexed, set the ball back in his dresser drawer, pushing it all the way to the back and covering it with every sock he could find, just to be safe.

Then Draco crawled back into bed, still unable to sleep, but now with something else to think about.

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**A/N:** So…not quite a cliffhanger like the last chapter, but like Draco, maybe now you guys have some new stuff to think about. Oh, and those two Slytherin guys Ginny saw on the train? I hope you all remember them. If not, the incident I was referencing to was in Chapter 19 of _This Is Who You Are._

Well, I can't think of anything else to comment on. I hope you liked this chapter, and I hope you review!

Lauren


	10. The First Day Back

Thank you to everyone who reviews! I know I don't thank you guys enough on here, and I should. But just know that those reviews are what keep me writing, and I read and appreciate each and every one.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything.

**Chapter 10: The First Day Back**

The next morning when Ginny awoke, despite how early it was, she got out of bed and ready for the day. Her dorm-mates were still sound asleep and so Ginny tried to be quiet as she pulled her robe over her school clothes, slipped her wand into her pocket, and walked out of the common room.

The night before she'd gone to bed, she had set her alarm to wake her up early, thinking that she would go to breakfast early, catch Dumbledore hopefully alone, and tell him about Mr. Ollivander's betrayal. While she was at it, she would ask him to somehow talk her parents into not staying at their home any longer. She had thought she'd ask him to tell her again who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts was, but then she thought that might make it seem like she hadn't been paying attention to Dumbledore's speech. True, she _hadn't_ been paying attention, but she certainly didn't want him to know that.

However, all of Ginny's hopes were in vain, for when she got down to the Great Hall, Dumbledore wasn't there. Several students were milling about waiting for breakfast to be served, and it looked like Professor McGonagall had already started handing out schedules to those students present, but no other teacher was in sight.

A disappointed Ginny sat down at the Gryffindor table, at which only a loud group of third years sat. She suddenly realized just how tired she was when a yawn escaped her mouth; after that one, it seemed impossible to stop others from surfacing. But Ginny had already showered and it seemed pointless to walk all the way back upstairs to sleep for maybe another half hour, so she remained at the Gryffindor table.

Eventually, Professor McGonagall made her way to Ginny, a stack of papers in her hand.

"Good morning, Miss Weasley," McGonagall said. "Glad to see you up and about so early."

"Yeah," said Ginny. "A bit too early for my liking, but whatever." She watched her Transfiguration teacher search through the papers.

"I've got your schedule here somewhere," muttered Professor McGonagall. "Here you go." She handed the paper to Ginny, who scanned it quickly.

"Not too bad for my first day back," Ginny said, managing a small smile. "At least I don't have Potions on a Monday."

Ginny could have sworn she saw Professor McGonagall's lips twitch in what might have been a smile, but the next instant they were back in the thin, orderly line that they always were in.

"Actually, Professor," Ginny began tentatively, "I was wondering…do you know if Professor Dumbledore is coming down here this morning?"

McGonagall's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm not sure. Sometimes, with all of the work that he has, he prefers to eat in his room…takes up less time that way. Is there any reason you need to see him?"

"Umm…" Ginny bit her lip, wondering if she should just tell McGonagall. She trusted the woman completely, and she knew that McGonagall was aware that Ginny and Draco were together, but she somehow would feel better about the entire situation if she told Dumbledore herself; after all, it was partly her fault, and she figured that Dumbledore would have the greatest influence over her parents.

"Is it about…" McGonagall lowered her voice to a whisper, "the Order?" Ginny nodded, and McGonagall looked at her knowingly. "Is it," she continued, "anything that needs immediate attention?"

"Well," Ginny said slowly. "It's important, but if he's busy now it can wait a little bit. I'd like to talk to him as soon as possible though."

"Hmm. Well," Professor McGonagall said contemplatively, resting her hand on her chin, "My last class before lunch is the seventh years –that'd be you, you know– so I can take you to see him right after class."

"That'd be great," Ginny said, relieved that she wouldn't have to wait too long. She didn't know if the situation with Ollivander required "immediate attention," but she certainly didn't want her parents staying in their house any longer than necessary; she already felt guilty enough about not having told them sooner. All during the train ride to Hogwarts, when she wasn't talking with Luna, she kept replaying in her head how horribly the visit to her home might have gone. If Lucius Malfoy had still been there…she shuddered, the image of the dead garden gnome popping into her head; much worse than that could have happened. And why hadn't she told anybody about the possible danger? Because she had been afraid of what her family would do to her if they knew she'd snuck out of Grimmauld Place, with or without Draco. Even now they could be in danger, but the idea that she could save them and possibly –Dumbledore willing– keep her and Draco a secret was the best option in her mind, and so she was willing to wait a few more hours.

"Miss Weasley?" McGonagall asked carefully, and Ginny's eyes snapped back to her teacher, a slight blush creeping up her neck. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, sorry," she mumbled. "Just tired, I guess…"

"Well, there is actually another matter I wanted to discuss with you," McGonagall asked. "But more students are coming in and I have many more schedules to pass out, so it will have to wait."

"Alright," Ginny replied as McGonagall said goodbye and walked towards the Hufflepuff table. She frowned slightly, wondering what it was her teacher wanted to talk to her about, but just then, the table in front of her was filled with all sorts of breakfast foods; and, shrugging her shoulders, Ginny grabbed a plate and filled it up. She was just spreading some jam on her muffin, watching familiar and unfamiliar faces alike congregating in the Great Hall, when a voice calling her name caused her to turn around in her seat.

"Hey," said her friend Colin Creevey as he slid into the seat next to her. "Missed you on the train yesterday, and at the feast. How are you doing?"

"Pretty good," Ginny said with a smile. "You?"

"Same," Colin said, shrugging. He grabbed a plate and scooped some eggs on to it. "Feels weird to be here as a seventh year. Seems like just yesterday we were like…them, actually," he said, pointing to a group of shy looking first years who entered the hall and froze, looking about and obviously wondering which way to go.

"I know the feeling," Ginny admitted, eyeing the first years before turning back to Colin. He looked the same as always – same wavy hair, small nose, and pinched cheeks, an overall mousy look, though he seemed to have grown into it a bit; it didn't look quite as awkward on him anymore, especially, Ginny noted, since he seemed to have hit a growth spurt over the summer. She'd have to wait until she stood to make a proper comparison, but Colin looked as if he was now slightly taller than her.

Professor McGonagall took that moment to walk back over to the Gryffindor table and, with another nod to Ginny, handed Colin his schedule before continuing on.

"Hmm," said Colin, eyes traveling over the paper he'd just been handed. "First thing is…Divination. You got that one?" He peered at the schedule in Ginny's lap.

"Nope," Ginny said. "That class always seemed really spoofy to me, so I dropped it. Why are you taking it, anyhow?"

Colin grinned sheepishly at her. "It's really easy, you know, not too much actual work to do."

Ginny laughed. "True, that's true. Anyway, all I have this morning is Arithmancy and Transfiguration."

"Lucky."

"I know," Ginny said, grinning smugly. Then she thought of something. "What was the name of the new Defense teacher? Missed it last night."

"Uh…something Dixon. Grayson Dixon, I think."

"Huh. Well we haven't got him till Friday, unfortunately, so we'll have to wait to see what he's like," Ginny mused.

Colin shrugged his shoulders as he ate. After a few minutes of silence between them, he said, "Most of the team's gone this year."

It took Ginny a moment to realize that he was talking about Quidditch. When she did understand him, her stomach felt heavier than normal. "Yeah…" Not only had they lost Harry as Seeker, Ron as Keeper, but also two of their Chasers, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. Colin and Dennis, as far as Ginny knew, would still be the Beaters, and she a Chaser, but it would take quite a few skilled players to get the team as good as it used to be.

Thoughts of Quidditch inevitably led to thoughts of Draco, Ginny realized, and she glanced over at the Slytherin table, half expecting to see him sitting there. But with a sigh, she realized that Draco wasn't there, and she mentally chastised herself for even thinking any different. Most of the old students weren't here, and she'd just have to get used to the idea, like it or not. It was a practical thought, if not the most cheering.

As Ginny looked at the giant clock up on the wall of the Great Hall, she realized that if she didn't want to be late for Arithmancy, she'd need to leave soon; she hadn't brought any of her books down, since she hadn't known what class was first. There was just enough time to run back up to her dormitory to get her supplies.

"I've got be going," she said as she stood up. "Got to get my things."

"Alright," replied Colin. "See you in Transfiguration."

"Bye."

Ginny then left the Great Hall, passing several tired students on her way back up to her dormitory. As the portrait of the Fat Lady let her into the common room and Ginny surreally seemed to note that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were _not_ in there, she tried not to envision how different this year would be.

An hour and a half later, a bleary-eyed Ginny emerged from her Arithmancy class. She carried her bag in her arms up close to her chest as she slowly walked down the hall. Why, she wondered, had she chosen that class? _That's right,_ she thought dryly, _because it was either that or sit in Divination with a psychotic teacher. _

Ginny sighed. Right now, she rather envied Colin, who was no doubt enjoying the easy class. Professor Vector had given her an alarming amount of homework to be handed in next Wednesday, and it felt odd to be under so much pressure on the first day of school.

Shaking her head and taking a deep breath, Ginny blinked several times to clear her mind. As she walked into the Transfiguration classroom, she took a seat somewhere in the middle. Colin walked in and joined her a few minutes before class started, looking a mite too chipper for Ginny's liking. But she smiled anyway when he asked how Arithmancy was, though all the way through Transfiguration, as she realized just how much more difficult the class had gotten from last year, a bit of panic started to rise within her. How in the world would she survive this year? And how had Draco done it last year and made it look so easy, even having time to go about playing detective at night?

Ginny sighed at the thought of Draco again, but thankfully, before she got too lost in her daydream, class ended; Ginny was pleased to see that Professor McGonagall gave them some reading to do in the textbook, but no other homework.

"You coming?" Colin asked Ginny when she made no move to follow the rest of the students filtering out of the classroom. "Lunch is in a few minutes.

"Nah," Ginny replied. "I'm going to talk to Professor McGonagall. I'll catch up with you later, yeah?"

"Yeah," Colin said, shrugging his shoulders.

Once the classroom was empty, Ginny slung her bag over her shoulder and walked up to the front where McGonagall was putting away her textbook. "Ready?" her teacher asked.

"Mm-hmm," Ginny said, smiling despite her sudden nerves; would Professor Dumbledore be mad that she hadn't told him sooner? Or that she had even gone back to the house at all? Ginny realized now, as McGonagall led the way towards Professor Dumbledore's office, that going back had probably been a stupid idea. But after seeing a man she'd hated for quite a while breaking into her house with evil intentions, her temper had bested her and she had even relished the idea of going back, if only because it gave her the possibility of fighting him.

"Here we are," Professor McGonagall said when they reached the stone gargoyle. She leaned forward and whispered the password so softly that Ginny couldn't hear it, and the gargoyle sprang to the side. "Just go on up," McGonagall told Ginny. "I let him know earlier that you'd be dropping by."

"Thanks," said Ginny, smiling to quell her nerves. She started up the stairs.

"Oh, and Miss Weasley?"

"Yes?" asked Ginny, turning around.

"When you are done, please come back to my classroom. There's still something I'd like to talk to you about," Professor McGonagall said. Ginny frowned slightly in curiosity, but she nodded her head anyway. "I'll have some lunch there for you so you won't miss it."

"Thanks," Ginny said once more, and as her teacher walked off, Ginny took a deep breath and walked up the rest of the staircase. When she knocked on the door at the top, Professor Dumbledore told her to come in, so she opened the door and walked into his office.

"Hello, Miss Weasley," Professor Dumbledore greeted.

"Hello, Sir," replied Ginny. She walked forward and sat down at the chair in front of the desk, which Dumbledore sat behind.

"Professor McGonagall told me that you have something to tell me that concerns the Order." Dumbledore sat forward in his seat and laced his fingers together on his desk, his face now serious.

"Yes," began Ginny, swallowing nervously. "Well…there's really no delicate way to say this, so I'll just say it." She took a deep breath. "Mr. Ollivander recognized Narcissa Malfoy with me in Diagon Alley, told Lucius Malfoy about it, and Malfoy and another Death Eater went to my house a few nights ago to try and kill us," she said in a rush, sighing at the end.

"Hmm…" Dumbledore mused, his eyes narrowing in thought. "I think you'd better start at the beginning and tell me everything, Miss Weasley."

And so Ginny told him in detail how she and Narcissa –the latter woman in disguise– went to Diagon Alley and how Mr. Ollivander recognized Narcissa. Ginny also told him how when she and Draco had gone to her house to talk in privacy, they had seen Lucius Malfoy and the other Death Eater, whom Ginny remembered being called Alvin. To the best of her ability, she recounted the conversation between the two, and told how she and Draco had Apparated back to Grimmauld Place. She blushed slightly in embarrassment when she told Professor Dumbledore how she had gone back to her house with her mother, cringing at Dumbledore's frown when she told him about the dead gnome in her bedroom.

When she was finished, she sat uncomfortably in her seat, unable to shake the feeling that she was on trial being judged for a crime. The way Professor Dumbledore was gazing at her through those moon-shaped spectacles was unnerving. Finally, as the silence between them grew to an almost unbearable degree, he spoke.

"Well, Miss Weasley," he sighed, "I cannot say that you made a wise choice in going back to your house. I agree with Mr. Malfoy. Lucius could have done a number of things to harm you or your parents. You were lucky to get away simply with a dead gnome."

"I know, Sir, and I'm really sorry," Ginny said. "It's just that I didn't know how to explain to my parents about knowing about it without telling the truth, and if they find out about me and Draco, then…" she trailed off, shrugging her shoulders helplessly. Sighing, she slumped down in her chair miserably. "I know it was wrong to go back. But that's why I'm telling you now. Can you find some way to get my parents out of the house? I don't know what I'd do if they got hurt because I was too scared to tell them."

Dumbledore nodded his head knowingly. "I can get them out. Most likely the best place for them is in Grimmauld Place. They will be safe there, and you here."

"What are you going to do about Mr. Ollivander?" Ginny asked. "I mean…is he a Death Eater?"

"I don't know," Dumbledore replied with a frown. "We will look into it. We will also look into who Alvin is. Are you sure that's all Lucius called him?"

"Positive."

"Hmm." Dumbledore appeared deep in thought, but then smiled at Ginny and stood. Ginny took this as her cue to leave, so she stood as well. "Ginny, I thank you for coming to tell me this," he said. "You may have made a mistake, but it takes a brave person to admit it, and an even braver person to do something to fix it."

"Thank you," Ginny mumbled, trying her best to smile, though inside, she still felt guilty.

"Sometimes, when you are in love, you make mistakes, which was the case in your not telling anybody for fear of you and Draco being found out," said Dumbledore pensively. "Love is a precious thing, and when you find it, you usually do everything in your power to keep it. Even if it causes you to err a time or two. You will become wiser with time, though. And don't worry," he said brightly, "I will keep your secret for now. But do know," he said, a bit more serious, "that you cannot keep a secret like this forever."

"I know," Ginny said. "And neither Draco nor I intend to. We just don't want to tell them quite yet."

"Completely understandable."

"Thank you, Sir," Ginny said, and Dumbledore smiled at her.

"Thank _you_, Miss Weasley. Now, you better run along, or there won't be any lunch left for you."

Ginny smiled at him one last time as she closed the door behind her. However, as she reached the bottom of the hidden staircase, she stopped dead in her tracks, so suddenly it was as if she had run into a wall. Her eyes widened as she remembered Dumbledore's comment. _Sometimes, when you are in love…_

It was as if everything stopped for Ginny. She just stood there, her hand on the railing, completely unaware of the fact that the gargoyle had moved aside and she was facing the empty hallway. Her heart pounded in her chest and Ginny wondered surreally if it was natural for something inside her to be so loud. But then Dumbledore's words rang through her again, and Ginny shook her head to clear her thoughts, stepping dazedly into the hallway.

Was she in love with Draco Malfoy? When Dumbledore had made that comment, the meaning of it hadn't fully registered in her mind. But now that she thought back, it startled her. Did Dumbledore think that they were in love? Ginny hadn't affirmed Dumbledore's words when he'd said them, and yet…she hadn't denied them either.

_Did_ she love Draco Malfoy? Ginny had once or twice thought about the subject, but never too seriously. She knew without a doubt that nobody, not even Harry, had made her feel so special before, and she knew that without Draco, she'd be positively miserable. But did she truly love him?

Ginny wasn't entirely sure. How would she know when she was in love? It wasn't as if she had been in love before and had something to compare her current relationship to; she had nothing to go by. So how did she know if what she felt for Draco was love? It certainly felt different than what she had felt for Harry, and she had long ago realized that what she had felt for Harry had been nothing more than a crush, infatuation. So did that mean that she loved Draco?

More important in Ginny's mind right now, did _Draco_ love _her?_ That idea caused Ginny's heart to swell and she felt distinctly warmer inside, but was it possible? She remembered last year to the moment when she had confronted him about his kissing her. After he had admitted that he liked her, what was it he'd said? _Don't think that this is love or anything. I don't even know what love is. I've never loved anybody before and I don't know if I can start now._

Ginny sighed, scuffing her feet against the floor. She thought hard, wondering if what Draco had said was true. Sure, he hadn't experienced an abundance of love in his life, but surely he must've changed since his childhood, right? After all they'd been through, something must've changed in him. He was certainly more open to sharing how he felt, though she knew he didn't like to admit it. But the way he'd fired up when she mentioned going back to her house proved that he cared. How deep did that care go, though? Far enough that he loved her? The situation was close to hopeless, Ginny thought. If even _she_, growing up in a warm and loving environment, didn't know if she was in love or not, then how in the world would Draco realize if he was in love? And if he did realize that he loved her, Ginny wondered if he'd ever be brave enough to tell her. It was such a commitment, such an enormous show of emotion for any person that she didn't know if he would be able to say it or not.

Now feeling significantly more depressed than a half hour ago, Ginny realized that she was standing in front of the door to the Transfiguration classroom. How long she had been there, she'd never know. But she knocked anyway, now not feeling quite as eager to hear what Professor McGonagall wanted to talk to her about.

"Come in," called Professor McGonagall.

Ginny walked into the classroom and felt her stomach rumble when she saw the sandwich on one of the desks in the front row, directly in front of McGonagall's desk, where her teacher was currently sitting. Professor McGonagall motioned towards the table with the sandwich, and Ginny sat down and tentatively started to eat it.

"How did your meeting go?" she asked Ginny. "Everything all taken care of?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Ginny answered.

"Good, then. What I want to talk to you about is Quidditch."

"What about it?" asked Ginny. She swallowed another bite of food.

"I was wondering," said Professor McGonagall, "if you'd be interested in being the team captain."

Ginny nearly choked on a bit of lettuce. "Cap-captain?" she asked, completely caught off-guard. "Me?"

"Yes, you," McGonagall said wryly, looking amused at Ginny's reaction. "You are the person who has been on the team the longest, so I thought to offer you the position. You don't have to accept if you don't want to."

Ginny set her sandwich down and sank back in her seat, feeling overwhelmed by everything. Her, team captain? That had been Harry's job. _But Harry's not here,_ she thought. It did make sense, she supposed, McGonagall's offering her the position. So far, only she and the Creevey brothers remained on the team, and she had been there the longest. But was she enough of a leader to take on that amount of work? It was a big responsibility, team captain.

However, Ginny loved Quidditch with a passion, and she was never one to back down from a challenge. And so, giving the matter only a few more seconds of consideration, she nodded her head, smiling.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that," said Ginny.

To her surprise, Professor McGonagall smiled brightly at her. "Excellent," she said. "The Gryffindor tryouts are set for the eleventh of September, which is a Friday, so you have a little over a week to prepare. And I believe the Creevey brothers are the only other players to return this year, but to be fair, they should still tryout for the Beater positions –or another other positions– with everybody else, to give everybody a fair chance. The final call will be up to you, but we don't want to play favorites."

"Right."

"Last year was a pretty nice team," mused Professor McGonagall, "but with so many people gone, especially Potter…well – he was one of the best Seekers to ever play at Hogwarts. We'll be lucky to find someone half as good as him."

Ginny nodded thoughtfully. She herself, in her fourth year, had played Seeker for a while, but Chaser was what she really loved. She didn't know whether Gryffindor would be able to turn out another Seeker like Harry.

Sighing a little, Ginny finished off the last of her sandwich. "Is that all you needed to talk to me about?" she asked as she wiped the crumbs from her fingers.

"I suppose so, yes," Professor McGonagall said. "Lunch is nearly over now; what class do you have next?"

"Uh…let's see," Ginny murmured, digging into her bag on the floor to find her schedule. "Looks like…Herbology."

McGonagall nodded, staring at the wall absently. "You like all your classes so far, then?"

"Yes," replied Ginny, blinking at the odd question. "Well – I've only had Arithmancy and Transfiguration so far, and Arithmancy seems tough."

"Good subject, though."

"What I'm really looking forward to is learning how to become an Animagi," Ginny said. "Are you teaching that this year?"

"No," sighed Professor McGonagall. She tore her eyes away from the wall to look back at Ginny, who felt her spirits drop just a bit.

"How come?"

"Well, I haven't taught it for a while now," McGonagall said. "Learning how to transfigure yourself is very difficult and can take years of practice to perfect. I only used to teach it to the seventh years, and even then, it was just an introductory course. If they liked the idea enough, then after they graduated they would take lessons at the Ministry."

"But now you don't teach it?" Ginny asked, disappointed; she had always wanted to become an Animagi, but now that she thought about it, she supposed if the class was to be offered to seventh years, her brother might've mentioned something about taking the class himself last year.

"There are a few reasons I don't teach it anymore," continued Professor McGonagall. "When I _did_ teach it, it was always a touch and go subject – some years I would teach, others I wouldn't. It would all depend on how many students were in my classes that year. But for the past several years I haven't taught the subject to my students because frankly, Miss Weasley, I do not know how all of them will turn out." She looked at Ginny sharply.

"As in…you don't know who will turn out…on what side?" Ginny inquired; she saw her teacher's head nod heavily, as if suddenly tired.

McGonagall sighed again. "I'm sure even you have noticed. There are some students in this school who are not as…eager…as others to…feel bad about You-Know-Who. Some, I'm afraid, are merely awaiting graduation to join him. And yet others, like yourself, I can clearly see would do anything to resist him. It would be dangerous if those on the other side were able to transfigure themselves since it is such a powerful tool; and since I cannot teach some students and refuse to teach others, Professor Dumbledore and myself feel it's best if I just don't teach it at all."

Ginny was quiet for a moment. And then she asked, almost tentatively, "But wouldn't it be a good thing if someone like Harry or my brother or anyone else in the Order were Animagi?"

"It would," McGonagall said, smiling a bit. "Which is why they will be learning themselves in a short while."

"What? But I thought you just said –"

"Another reason that I didn't teach the subject, especially to Mr. Potter, is because the Ministry keeps tabs on who is an Animagi," cut in Professor McGonagall. "I couldn't have taught the subject to them last year because then the Ministry would know about it, and there are some people in the Ministry who are not all they pretend to be, if you know what I mean."

Ginny did indeed understand the implications, but she continued anyway, still trying to process all of the new information. "But you said that all you teach is an introductory course, and that the students still won't become an Animagi until after they graduate. So would the Ministry really know who you taught, if you taught?"

Another smile, this one a bit amused, graced Professor McGonagall's face. "You certainly do think all the way through these things, don't you, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny blushed, and started to stutter an apology, but her teacher broke in, shaking her head. "It was a compliment, no need to be upset. Anyway, in the past when I've offered to teach the willing students how to transfigure themselves, a Ministry official would always request a list of the participating students, would sometimes come and sit in on a class or two. They wanted to get a heads up on who might or might not be needing training after school. Unless I taught Mr. Potter in secret, the Ministry would have known about it, and we couldn't risk that."

"And so who's going to teach them now?" Ginny asked. "You?"

"Me, yes," McGonagall replied. "In a week or two, I will start going to Grimmauld Place in the evenings to teach Harry, Ron, Hermione, her friend Mr. Swestan, and Mr. Malfoy."

"So you could teach me too, couldn't you?" Ginny asked excitedly. "I mean here at school, maybe."

Professor McGonagall frowned. "I don't know, Miss Weasley –"

"Call me Ginny."

"–Ginny, then. I'm not sure if that would –"

"But you're going to teach Draco and Harry and the others," Ginny continued, ignoring the way her teacher's lips pressed together tightly at being interrupted. "You could teach me in secret, that way when I graduate I already have a head start. You know I'm going to join the Order as soon as I turn eighteen."

"Ginny," Professor McGonagall began, a bit more kindly, "I just don't see how it will work. At least –" she held up a hand at seeing Ginny's crestfallen face, "not right away. During the day I will be here teaching classes and at night I will be at Grimmauld Place trying to teach them how to become Animagi. My schedule is overly full; there simply would be no time for me to teach you. However," she continued, and Ginny felt her hopes rise a bit, "after they have learned, I would be willing to teach you as well, here at school."

A smile immediately leapt onto Ginny's face and she got out of her seat and threw her arms around her teacher, who looked slightly startled at the abruptness of it all. "Thank you, Professor McGonagall!" Ginny exclaimed. "You're bloody brilliant!"

"Yes – well…that's all and good, Ginny," said Professor McGonagall, and Ginny, as she backed away, saw that her teacher looked uncharacteristically unsettled. She felt a tiny bit of guilt when she saw McGonagall's glasses hanging askew.

"Sorry…" she said. Clearing her throat, she moved back to her desk and picked up her bag.

As she straightened her robe back out, Professor McGonagall said, "Though I should tell you, I don't know when I can teach you. I hope that your brother and the others will learn as soon as possible, but given the difficultness of the task, it may not happen before you leave school."

"That's alright," Ginny said. "And thanks again for everything. You know, for taking me to Professor Dumbledore and all, and then this."

"You're welcome."

"I guess I'll see you around, then," Ginny said with a smile; and as her teacher nodded to her, Ginny left the room.

The halls Ginny walked through were gradually starting to fill with more students as lunch ended. Ginny hardly paid them any attention, though, as she headed out of the castle and down to the greenhouses. A lot had happened on her first day back, and the afternoon had barely begun.

First, she had been named Quidditch captain of the Gryffindor team. That, in and of itself, was still shocking to Ginny since she had never even considered it before. What would her parents say when she told them? No doubt they'd be proud, and the idea of leading the Gryffindor team to a victory was thrilling.

Second, she had told Dumbledore about the Death Eaters at her house. Though she still felt guilty about placing her family in danger, she couldn't deny that she was glad it was all working out. Now that she had that weight off her shoulders, perhaps things wouldn't be so bad; her parents wouldn't stay at their house any longer, and she and Draco were still being kept a secret.

Draco. Ginny sighed. He was the other big thing to happen. Ever since hearing Dumbledore's assumption that she and Draco were in love, Ginny couldn't stop the gnawing feeling in her head, like she was on a roller coaster that was out of her control. Did she love Draco?

_Isn't that the million galleon question,_ Ginny thought bitterly. To be honest with herself, she had to say that she didn't know. But what she did know was that she cared for Draco more than she had ever thought possible. She also knew that she'd do anything to keep him safe, even if it meant giving her own life.

And as she sat down in greenhouse seven and prepared for class, she vowed to keep that promise. Draco had already been through enough pain in his life; she would do everything possible to keep him from falling across more of it. What she just hoped was that by being with him, she made his world a little brighter, because she knew that he lit hers on fire.

Causing a slight smile on Ginny's face, Dumbledore's words rang through her again.

_Love is a precious thing, and when you find it, you usually do everything in your power to keep it._

What Ginny had to do now was figure out whether she had found it or not.

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**A/N:** I don't like this chapter very much. It's not very eventful. Hope you guys weren't too bored with it! So…We now know who the DADA teacher is, or at least we know his name. Sound familiar at all? It should…(hint hint)

Reviews are always loved!

Lauren


	11. What’s in a Name?

My thanks again go out to everybody who reviews, even if it's a simple "great chapter!" (though I always love hearing what you guys thought was great in it)

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter and was a billionaire, do you really think I'd be writing fan fiction?

**Chapter 11: What's in a Name?**

"Get the hell out of my room, Potter!"

"I wasn't in your room!"

"You're in my room right now, you idiot!"

"That's because you're a spy!"

"You're daft!"

Draco ducked as Harry lunged at him, but Harry caught Draco around the middle and pushed him backwards. Draco's back hit the side of his bed and he and Harry rolled to the floor, hitting and kicking each other.

"You're crazy, Potter," panted Draco as he struggled to keep Harry's fist from gouging his eye.

"At least I'm not a liar," Harry countered. As one of Draco's arms wrapped around Harry's neck to keep him from moving, Draco used his free hand to deliver several punches to Harry's stomach. But then Harry's swinging arm latched onto Draco's air and gave a vicious yank, and before Draco could swear at the pain, Harry's elbow swung up and collided with Draco's jaw.

"Bloody hell," hissed Draco, disengaging himself from Harry and backing towards his dresser to get his bearings. He brought his hand up and gingerly rubbed his chin, all the time glaring at Harry Potter.

Just a few minutes earlier, Draco had come up to his room only to catch Harry digging around under his bed. Draco actually thought he'd handled the situation very diplomatically; he'd waited a full ten seconds before yanking Harry out from under his bed and punching him, the result being a quickly bruising and swelling eye on Harry's face.

"When will you get it through that thick skull of yours," Draco said heavily, "that I'm not a Death Eater. I'm not _your_ side, don't you get it."

"You and I will never be on the same side, Malfoy," said Harry. He sniffed and wiped away some blood that was trailing out of his nose. "We could never want the same thing so you might as well give it up now."

"Rule number one of being a Malfoy: Never give up," Draco exclaimed. "Want to know what rule number two is?"

"Not particularly."

"Rule number two: never take orders from a Potter."

"Why, because I'm not a pureblood?" Harry fumed, taking a step towards Draco angrily. "Because I'm a half-blood?"

"No," growled Draco. "Because you're self-righteous, hypocritical, and what's more," he continued as he came forward to meet Harry, "I think you _like_ all the attention you get."

Quicker than Draco would have given Harry credit for, Harry's fist collided with Draco's jaw once more, sending another jolt of pain through him; and as Draco redoubled his efforts of making Harry hurt as much as possible, he was positive he saw little stars dancing in front of his eyes.

"Boys!" came a very shocked female voice from the doorway, but Draco didn't take his eyes off of Harry to see who it was; at the moment, all he cared about was making Potter bleed. "Stop it, stop!" the voice said again, and then Draco's vision was blocked by bushy brown hair.

To Draco's disappointment, Hermione somehow wormed her way in between Draco and Harry. She placed one hand on each of their chests, doing her best to separate them as Harry and Draco swung their arms around her head at each other.

"Stop," Hermione said forcefully, and with a heave, shoved Harry and Draco to opposite sides of the room and placed herself in between them, a finger pointed warningly at Harry. "Leave it," she said. "What do you two think you're doing?"

Draco, trying hard to understand why he felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, pointed at Harry and said, "He was snooping through my room."

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed in shock.

"Hermione, you can't honestly believe that he's on our side," Harry said. "He's a _Malfoy_."

"And you're a _Potter_," Hermione said. "What's in a name that's got you two so prejudice against each other?"

"But Hermione –"

"Don't you 'Hermione' me," she warned. "I've had just about enough of this. And you," she said, rounding on Draco, who, when he saw the fire in her eyes, took a step backwards despite himself. "You have been sullen and rude ever since you got here. It's no wonder everybody loves to fight you."

"Granger, I haven't been anything here that I wasn't at school."

"Exactly," Harry cut in. "He hasn't changed, Hermione. He's still the same Malfoy that we hated at school. Why are you defending him now?"

"Because, Harry," Hermione said exasperatedly. "Maybe I've grown up a bit since school. The two of you should try the same. Now," she said as she grabbed Harry's sleeve, "out." She dragged a bewildered Harry to the doorway, shoved him out, and then shut the door.

"What do you think you're doing?" Draco asked.

"Giving you a bit of advice," Hermione answered, not moving away from the closed door. "I know Ginny, alright?" Draco stiffened at the mention of Ginny's name, but he remained silent. "Harry is her friend. Ron is her brother. Neither of them can stand you. If you and she ever want to even _think_ about making your secret known to them, then you'd better pray that Harry and Ron don't hate you anymore when you tell them. And if you keep fighting like this, not only will they murder you when they find out about Ginny, but you'll probably spend the entire war locked up in here because Dumbledore won't let you or Harry out until you stop fighting."

Draco stared at Hermione, not knowing exactly what to say. He knew she had a point, but the idea of not fighting with Harry Potter didn't sit well with him. "Look, Granger, I know you're trying to help. At least I think you are," he said, frowning. "But I'm nothing like what Potter thinks, alright?"

"I know that," Hermione said, surprising Draco. "I trust Ginny, and if she trusts you, then you can't be all that bad. But Harry and Ron don't know that. So you've got to show them that you're really on our side. Alright?"

"Whatever," Draco grumbled. "Just don't tell anyone about me and Ginny. Not even that boyfriend. Alright?" He mimicked her tone, raising an eyebrow. Hermione's face betrayed her annoyance, and Draco was relieved to see that he and Hermione Granger still bothered each other; if that ever changed, then Draco thought he'd have to kill himself.

"Fine," she said tightly. "My lips are sealed. But you listen to me. Don't hurt Ginny or pull anything over on her. Because if you do, you're not only going to have the entire Weasley family after you, but also Harry and me. And it'll take some pretty strong magic to keep us from knocking your teeth out."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You can keep your pitchforks and torches; I'm not going to do anything." He and Hermione stared at each other for a few more minutes before Draco asked, without breaking eye contact, "Are we finished?"

"Quite," answered Hermione. Without another word, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

After she was gone, Draco sighed and shut the door. _Well that was interesting,_ he thought as he sat down on the edge of his bed.

During the past few days, ever since Ginny left for Hogwarts, Draco had been bored. He had come to realize just how much Ginny's presence had done for him. The only person he really talked to now was his mother, and even then, it wasn't the same as Ginny. Ginny was able to make him laugh and smile when he was in the blackest of moods, and while his mother's company was comforting, it wasn't the same as his Ginny.

Oddly enough, one other thing to ease Ginny's absence was the presence of Molly and Arthur Weasley. Just a few days ago they'd arrived back at Grimmauld Place with more suitcases than ever. The reason he'd heard Mrs. Weasley give Ron for their return was that "Dumbledore heard it from Snape that Lucius Malfoy convinced some Death Eaters to lead a raid on our house sometime soon, so to be safe, Dumbledore wants us to stay here."

Draco knew that this reason wasn't completely accurate but it was close enough to the truth. And having the Weasleys back in Grimmauld Place was slightly comforting, even if Ginny was gone. It reminded him in a way of the times when she had been there too; yet though their presence helped to temper some of his anxiety, it did nothing for his boredom.

And so the altercation he'd just had with Harry Potter was slightly refreshing. It seemed that since Dumbledore had laid down his new rule, Draco and Harry had taken to hating each other more forcefully than before. They had stuck to verbal insults up till now, but as Draco sat there rubbing his bruised knuckles, he thought, _Hitting Potter sure is one hell of a stress reliever._

Hermione's words about moving past their hatred still echoed through his mind, though, and they were unsettling. What would the world be like if Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy ever became friends? A quite frightening place, most likely, but in the back of his mind was the niggling thought – _Is it only a matter of time before the inevitable happens?_

In an effort to avoid these disturbing thoughts, Draco got off his bed and paced his room. He opened his dresser drawer and pulled out the glass ball, now black, cold, and heavy, and looked at it once more; ever since the night Ginny left, he'd wondered what was wrong with it. His first thought had been to go ask his mother, but so far he'd put it off. The ball had been in her family for generations, always passed down to the daughter, and now that it had been given to the son, it broke.

Draco frowned at the thought. It had been one of his theories lately, that the reason it wasn't working was because a male was using it. It didn't make a whole lot of sense, but it was the best he could come up with.

Sighing again, this time more determinedly, Draco left his room and walked to his mother's, determined to ask her and face whatever sorrow she felt at seeing the heirloom broken.

When he knocked on her door and his mother told him to come in, Draco hesitated only a moment before walking in. He saw his mother looking through her wardrobe, little as it was, and as she turned to face her son, Narcissa held up a dress in front of her body.

"What do you think?" she asked with a smile. Draco looked at the dress. The entire thing was made out of blood red velvet, much to Draco's surprise; in all his life he'd never seen his mother wear red. But he found that the color suited her, brought out some color in her pale cheeks.

"It's nice," he said, an amused, pleased smile on his lips. "Makes your hair shine like the sun."

Narcissa wrinkled her nose, though Draco saw her smile. "I hope that's not sarcasm, Draco."

"You'd know if I was being sarcastic," he said, stepping further into the room. As he did so, his mother's eyes widened and she laid the dress on her bed.

"What happened to you?" she asked. Draco was confused for only a moment before he realized that his face must look like it'd been beaten by Bludgers.

"Got into a fight with Potter," he said casually.

"Again?" his mother asked. She looked exasperated. Draco shrugged his shoulders and she sighed. "You know, you really should think about getting over your anger."

Draco bit his tongue, pushing back the retort he knew his mother would find rude, hurtful, and probably confusing since she didn't know that Draco was already frustrated from a similar discussion with Hermione. It was a testament to how much Draco really had matured, for in the past, he wouldn't have checked his temper so well.

"Probably should," he said instead, "but where would be the fun in that?" He smiled, and though Narcissa narrowed her eyes, her lips quirked.

"Did you win?"

"Got in a few good kicks," Draco answered. "Oh don't worry, he can still eat solid food, but I wouldn't be surprised if his nose hangs a little crooked from now on. It's an improvement, really. Anyway," he continued, holding the glass ball up so that his mother could see, "I was wondering if you could tell me what happened to this."

Frowning, Narcissa took the ball from Draco and looked at it. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I used it a few days ago and it worked fine. Then I tried again later and it…died. Now it won't do anything."

Narcissa sighed, turning the ball over in her hands. "I don't know what's wrong. Like I've said before, I don't know a lot about its history, only that it's been on my side of the family for years, passed down from mother to daughter."

"Who created it?"

"I don't know." Narcissa was still gazing down at the ball, not looking up at Draco, who didn't bother to hide his disappointment. He'd been hoping for some sort of answer.

"Well, it's alright. I was just curious," said Draco. Narcissa handed the ball back to him.

After a few more minutes of conversation, Draco took his leave. Just as he was rounding the corner towards his room, he saw none other than Albus Dumbledore knocking on his door.

"Professor?" Draco asked.

Dumbledore turned and smiled at Draco. "Mr. Malfoy. I had heard that you spend most of your time in your room here, so that's where I decided to look for you."

"Do you need anything?" Draco opened his door and beckoned for Dumbledore to go in. Draco followed after him, more than a little curious about what the man wanted.

"Just checking on things," he said. "I managed to get away from Hogwarts for about an hour. I have some news."

"About what?"

"Well Miss Weasley came to me shortly after arriving at school and told me about your encounter with your father, and I looked into the matter of Mr. Ollivander." As he spoke, Professor Dumbledore's voice darkened with a sadness that made Draco suspect what was about to come.

"And?"

"And he's dead," Dumbledore said heavily. He looked tired, Draco thought, more so than usual. It was disconcerting to see the Hogwarts Headmaster, normally so calm and optimistic, looking downright disheartened.

"How?" was all Draco could manage, making his voice indifferent to hide his own dejection.

"I went to his store in Diagon Alley three days ago but he was already dead when I got there. The Avada Kedavra, it looks like."

"And you think it was my father who did it?"

"Short of having the wand who performed the curse, there's no way to tell," Dumbledore sighed. "I have been friends with Mr. Ollivander for years, and in all my life, I never knew him to be a man of the dark. I don't believe that he would have willingly worked for Voldemort."

Listening to Dumbledore talk, Draco took out the glass ball and set it on his dresser, then moved to sit on the bed. "So," Draco said, "we won't ever really know what happened then, will we? Won't know if Ollivander was giving up information willingly or by force?"

"That is correct." Dumbledore walked idly about Draco's room. "But talking about my old friend was not the only reason why I came to see you. I also wanted –" He paused, standing in front of Draco's dresser. "What is this?" He picked up the black ball.

Draco frowned. "Just something my mother gave me. It's broken now though."

"Hmm." Dumbledore turned the ball over in his hands, gazing at it interestedly. "What was it?"

"It never used to be black like that," said Draco. "You'd hold on to it, say the name of someone you wanted to see, and then you'd see them in the glass. But when I went to use it the other night, it turned black like that and hasn't worked since."

"Hmm," mused Dumbledore once more. "Interesting… And you say you don't know why it doesn't work?"

"No I don't," Draco stated, watching Dumbledore's eyes narrow in concentration. "Do you know why it doesn't work?"

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said as he looked up, a smile on his face, "I couldn't possibly know. I've never seen one of these before. But if you'd allow me to take it with me back to Hogwarts, I can spend more time analyzing it. Perhaps I can figure it out."

"Sure." Draco shrugged his shoulders, appearing indifferent once again though on the inside abounded excitement. A chance to know why that thing wasn't working? He'd gladly take that offer. "My mother says that it's been on her side of the family for years, passed down from mother to daughter. But that's all she knew about it."

"Well it's a start," Dumbledore said. "Now then, I was also wondering how you are getting along with Mr. Potter."

"I'm not."

Dumbledore smiled dryly and tucked the glass ball into the inside of his cloak. "Hmm. And how do you like it here at Grimmauld Place?"

"It's one of the most boring places I've been, why?"

"Well, you'd better get used to it, because until you stop fighting with Harry and Ron, you are staying here," Dumbledore said as he gazed at Draco.

Draco frowned at Dumbledore's words and bit his tongue while trying to keep his anger from spilling over. Who was Dumbledore to tell him that he wasn't allowed out of here? If Draco really wanted to, he could leave. The only thing stopping him was the fact that his father would kill him (or do worse) if he was caught. But Draco could risk it. It wasn't as if he'd never been in dangerous situations before.

As if reading his thoughts, Dumbledore smiled. "Running away would do no good, Draco."

"And why not?" Draco snapped. He didn't like Dumbledore's ability to sense thoughts no matter how well Draco tried to hide what he was feeling; Dumbledore was one of the only persons who was able to actually do that to him.

"Because I would send Order members after you right away and you'd be brought straight back here."

"So now I'm a prisoner?" snarled Draco, standing from his bed. His lip curled into the sneer that he had not worn for quite a while. "Well isn't this a nice turn of events. Here I thought I'd actually be helping your sorry Order and now I'm being held prisoner by it!" He folded his arms across his chest and glared at Dumbledore.

"Prisoner?" Dumbledore asked amusedly. "Now I wouldn't use that terminology. I would say something like 'resident.' However, if you think that you are a prisoner…it's only because you're keeping yourself here."

"You just said I couldn't leave!"

"You can leave any time you want."

"Are you kidding me?" Draco demanded, now thoroughly confused. "First you say I can't leave until I'm buddy-buddy with Potter. Now you say I can leave whenever?"

"Nothing but yourself is stopping you from leaving. All I said is that if you did leave, I'd bring you back. Out there you would do no good. Your father and other Death Eaters would be hunting for you, so you'd have to be in hiding. In hiding you can't do much to search for and destroy the horcruxes, especially without the help of the Order. And you can't have a shot at a normal life until Voldemort is gone, so really," Dumbledore said brightly, "your best chance is with us."

Scowling, Draco sat back down on his bed. "Some choice…" he muttered. "When you told me at the end of school that I'd be helping the Order, and in turn myself, befriending Potter isn't exactly what I had in mind."

"We all must make some sacrifices for the sake of freedom."

Draco glared once more at Dumbledore but didn't say anything.

"Oh and one last thing," Dumbledore said as he turned to the door. "In about one week, Professor McGonagall will be coming to give you, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ewan lessons in becoming an Animagi."

"Really?" Draco asked, his anger momentarily pushed aside by curiosity.

"Yes. And now if you'll excuse me, I must go tell the others."

As Dumbledore was walking out of the room, Draco remembered something that had been bothering him lately. "Wait!" he called out.

Dumbledore turned back around. "Yes?"

"How do I send owls out of this place?" Draco asked. "I can't very well shove it out the window because there are no windows. And besides, there _are_ no owls in here anyway."

"To send to Miss Weasley, I assume?"

"Yes."

Dumbledore sighed. "Actually, Draco, I would prefer it if you didn't send any owls. Oh, don't look so surprised, there _is_ a way to do it – it has to do with a space portal. But owls are very easily intercepted and can be traced. For yours and Ginny's safety, it'd be best if you didn't communicate."

Draco tried hard to hide the despair these words brought him. No talking to Ginny? How was he supposed to get through life with Potter if he couldn't even complain about it to Ginny? Forget about Potter, how was he supposed to do _anything_ without Ginny to talk to? Draco had thought to wait for a letter from Ginny before writing anything himself, but since she hadn't written yet and he was about to die from boredom, he had thought to write one himself. He sighed.

"Don't worry, once I get back to school, I will explain it all to Miss Weasley. I'm sure she'll understand."

Draco doubted that she _would_ understand, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he merely mumbled a goodbye as Dumbledore walked out of the room. In the silence as he pondered over these recent, less than pleasant tidings, he couldn't help but think, _This sucks.

* * *

_

The afternoon of Quidditch tryouts arrived along with a blast of cold weather, surprising for so early in the year. Looking out the window during her last class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ginny noticed with a frown that the sky was clouding up; it would reduce the glare from the sun once they were flying, but it would also worsen visibility. _Well, _she thought grimly, _whoever can play in these conditions deserves to be on the team. Maybe it would help if it was raining…_

After Defense Against the Dark Arts was over, Ginny said goodbye to Colin. She wanted to get down to the pitch early and get ready. And so as Ginny walked down to the Quidditch pitch, still carrying her book bag, she sighed, trying to still her nerves. How had Harry done this last year? Her respect for him doubled on the spot at the prospect of getting up and making some sort of speech in front of a large number of the Gryffindor house. During past Quidditch tryouts, almost half of the house turned up to try for the team, though only half of _that_ number even knew how to fly a broom.

The wind also seemed to pick up as Ginny walked across the Hogwarts grounds. Another nervous sigh escaped her and in order to calm herself down, she thought about her past week at Hogwarts.

Surprisingly enough, Professor Dixon had actually appeared to be a normal teacher. It was comforting to know that they would be taught by someone who not only thoroughly knew the subject that he was teaching but who also had a nice disposition; for other than coming across as a bit nervous and talkative, Professor Dixon had been kind and had shown a sense of humor, something Ginny thought all the students would appreciate. They had all walked out of that class with smiles on their faces.

Another thing to surprise Ginny was Herbology. The class was the same as ever, but there had been a slight change in the teaching. She had walked into the greenhouse to find Professor Sprout in her usual position, but along with her was Neville Longbottom. Ginny learned during that class that Professor Sprout was thinking about retirement in a few years and that Neville would take her place; to train for it, he was her apprentice. It had done Ginny's heart some good to see such a familiar face at Hogwarts, someone who had been a year above her. She was almost able to fool herself into thinking that the others were there too – Draco, Harry, Ron, Hermione. But of course, they weren't there, and it had been made painfully aware to Ginny after she'd left class and gone back to an empty Gryffindor common room.

And yet some things never changed, which Ginny found to be true with some of her other classes such as Potions and Charms. Both classes were a bit smaller than the previous year, but the teachers were still the same. Unfortunately so, in the case of Professor Snape. Since there was no Harry, Ron, or Hermione to receive his usual verbal beatings, they had seemed to fall on Ginny, the next Weasley in line. It was more than a little frustrating, but Ginny had thought up several plans for revenge, though she knew she'd never act on them. Her favorite idea, though, would be to tell Snape that she was dating his prize student, Draco Malfoy. Oh how she would love to watch his reaction to that revelation.

One thing to dampen Ginny's mood about her classes was Care of Magical Creatures. She loved the class itself and Hagrid was the same as usual, but the scheduling was different from anything she'd ever experienced before. Since hardly any of the older students had signed up for the class, Dumbledore had combined all sixth and seventh years –regardless of their house– into one class. The first time she had gone to class Monday afternoon, she had thought there must be some mistake when she saw Ravenclaws, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, _and_ Gryffindors all showing up. But Hagrid had explained it all to them.

Ginny wouldn't mind that class's scheduling so much if it weren't for two of the Slytherins. She had been both shocked and slightly terrified to see the two Slytherin boys who'd harassed her last year showing up to class. Ginny didn't think that either of them seemed the type to be interested in animals, which made her wonder about their real reason for showing up; they were two of the three Slytherins to actually take the class, which consisted of fifteen students altogether. The only perk of having them in the class was that Ginny had finally learned their names. Martin Darryson was the handsomer of the two and also the one who seemed more dangerous, the one whom the other, Derrick Sloan, seemed to look up to.

That first Care of Magical Creatures class had proved to be interesting, despite the two boys' presence. Hagrid had mainly given them an introduction to what they would be doing that year. He had told them all to bring their turtle dragon eggs to the next class. Ginny had kept the egg wrapped up in the box it had come in, tucked away in her trunk. It hadn't changed in the least, but Hagrid had said that that was normal, and so Ginny had been relieved; for a while she'd thought she'd done something wrong with it.

However, Ginny's happiness had been short-lived. A few days into classes, she had run into Professor Dumbledore in the hallways and been informed that she was not allowed to write to Draco, nor was he allowed to write to her. Ginny had listened to Dumbledore's reasoning quietly, nodding and saying goodbye at the end of the conversation, but inside she was a mess.

How was she supposed to make it till Christmas without talking to Draco? She'd left Grimmauld Place with the belief that she'd be able to at least write to him, that at least some sort of communication would be kept. But now there was nothing, and how that would affect them scared Ginny. Would she return to Draco in a few months and find, that without being able to talk to each other, they had changed?

And also, Ginny was still toying with the whole "love" revelation that she'd had a week ago. She had never planned on writing to Draco about that topic for it seemed more of an in-person type of conversation, but how in the world was she supposed to figure out if she loved him or not if she couldn't see him till Christmas? It was more than frustrating – it was infuriating. And anybody who knew Ginny realized that infuriating her was certainly not a good thing to do.

"You do know that staring at the door won't open it, don't you?"

Ginny whipped around and realized that she'd been standing in front of the door to the locker rooms. In front of her, Hogwarts resting in the distance behind him, was Neville.

"Hey, Neville," Ginny said with a smile. "Yeah, I know. Just got lost in thought."

"Understandable."

"Done for the weekend with the teaching thing?"

"Just about," said Neville. "Still seems weird to be teaching here."

"Keep at it long enough and people will start calling you Professor Longbottom," Ginny teased. Looking as if the thought had never occurred to him before, Neville blinked. Ginny laughed. "I was just joking. It'll be years before people call you that."

Neville smiled, relieved. "Well, I was on my way from the greenhouses to the castle and saw you, wanted to congratulate you. I heard you'd been made Quidditch captain."

"Yeah," smiled Ginny. "Tryouts are this afternoon."

"Well good luck," Neville said. "I know you'll do great."

"Thanks, Neville," Ginny said. She looked up at the older boy, once more grateful for his presence at school; it was comforting to have such an old friend around even if she and Neville had never been very close. "Are you going back to the school? Because you can stay and watch if you want."

"Can't. Want to, but can't. I've got one last thing to finish up with Professor Sprout in the castle."

"Alright. I'll see in class on Monday then, I guess."

"Bye."

Ginny stood watching Neville walk back up to the castle for a moment before she finally entered the locker rooms. During the next hour, got out her broom, set the box of practice Quidditch balls near the door, and donned her new Quidditch robe, which she noticed had changed to include the team captain badge. She wasn't sure who had replaced her old robe but wasn't about to complain since the new one looked better than the old one had. She also took out of her bag a clipboard with parchment and set them on one of the benches.

Ginny remained in the locker room as long as she could, nervously biting her finger nails as the pitch outside filled up with students. By the sounds of it, quite a few people were out there. Ginny still wasn't entirely sure how the tryouts would go. Her plan was to imitate how Harry had run the tryouts in previous years; those had seemed to go over well enough, and it was the best plan Ginny could come up with.

When further procrastination might have led to someone searching for her, Ginny took a deep breath, tucked her broom under one arm, and picked up the box with the balls. She pushed open the door to the pitch and at once took in how many students there were.

A couple dozen students were gathered on the field already and the rest sat in the stands. Still talking to each other, they all watched as Ginny walked towards them and set the box down. She nervously looked around at them all. She recognized most of them, but a few –mainly the younger ones– she hadn't seen before. Adding to her nerves, she saw members of the Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff teams sitting in the upper stands, no doubt present to see who their new competition would be. She saw Colin and Dennis off to one side, and Colin sent her a smile and a wave. Ginny smiled back, took a deep breath, and stepped forward, hoisting her broom over one shoulder.

"Alright, everybody, listen up," she called out loudly. The Quidditch pitch fell silent. "Everybody who's trying out for the team must be a Gryffindor of at least second year. If that description doesn't fit you, then please stay in the stands. Everybody else who wants to try out, come on to the field. And everybody who's just here to watch, move up in the stands, leave the bottom four empty."

Most of the people in the stands walked down to the pitch. Some students who were of different houses or who were too young moved further up in the stands; even a few who were on the field went to sit down. Ginny looked at the students on the field; she guessed there to be about forty or so people, an equal mix of girls and boys.

"Okay," said Ginny. "Now everybody who is trying out for Chaser, sit on the bottom row of the stands. Beaters sit on the second row, Keepers on the third row, and Seekers on the fourth so I can get an idea of how many of you are trying out for what position."

The students scrambled to get into their appropriate rows and after the rush ended and all students were seated, Ginny sized them up. A third of the students sat in the bottom row, and the rest were distributed between the other three rows; all of the students looked up at Ginny hopefully, expectantly. Ginny looked back at them, her eyes going from one student to another. Several of them were young and barely looked big enough to handle the broom let alone able to skillfully fly on it. Only a handful of them were around Ginny's age.

"Okay," Ginny repeated slowly. "Chasers are up first. The people in the bottom row can come down. You can warm up while I go get something from the locker room." Ginny left the students and jogged back towards the locker room, realizing that she'd left her clipboard in there. If she was going to keep track of who stunk and who could be on the team, she'd need it.

Just as she was coming back onto the field with the clipboard, one of the students came running up to her. She recognized him as Jacob Smith, the boy a year younger than her who had taken Lee Jordan's position as Quidditch commentator.

"Hey Ginny?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't have a broom…"

"But Professor McGonagall instructed everybody trying out who didn't have a broom to get one from Madame Hooch."

"I know," Jacob said, "but I only got around there today and she was out of them."

"Well…" contemplated Ginny, "I suppose I can get you one to use. Hold on a second, alright?"

Ginny darted back inside the locker room and grabbed one of the practice brooms that was kept in there. When she handed it to Jacob, he smiled in relief.

"Thanks," he said as they walked back towards the group. "Thought for a moment I might not get a chance to try out."

"What position do you play?" Ginny asked.

"Keeper, I hope."

"Well good luck."

Jacob stepped away to sit on the benches with the rest of his housemates and Ginny called down from the air those practicing to tryout for the Chaser position. As she waited for them to gather around, Ginny quickly listed "Chasers" at the top of the first page on her clipboard and proceeded to get the names of everybody trying out for that position. Most of them were girls, she noticed, and throughout the drills she had them perform, she couldn't help but feel hopeful that this year she wouldn't be the only female on the team.

As it was, most of the students, trying out not only for Chaser but for all other positions, she found out later, had little to no experience playing Quidditch. It was frustrating to watch them stumble over the simplest of exercises and with a sigh, Ginny would cross out names on her clipboard. It really was dull work watching everybody perform as best they could.

She did note that Jacob Smith was actually quite talented as a Keeper; only two Quaffles ever got past him when Ginny allowed the Chasers to practice with the Keepers near the end of tryouts. And Colin and Dennis Creevey, with their year of experience playing for the team, outshined all the others who tried out for the positions of Beaters. It relieved Ginny to know that she would be able to keep Colin and Dennis as Beaters; it would have been awkward to tell them that she'd be replacing them this year.

The real surprise for her, though, came when she at last let the Seekers try out. She had been saving them for last for her gut was telling her that there was no other Seeker like Harry in all of Hogwarts. The meager group of hopefuls only consisted of seven students altogether. Ginny had expected more to tryout for Harry's old position, but it seemed as if most were too scared of failing miserably in comparison to him.

After she had collected their names, Ginny instructed the seven students to circle around the pitch a few times, during which time she'd release the practice Snitch. Ginny watched them zoom off, and after a few laps, she let go of the winged ball. Though she tried to keep track of it, it was soon gone from sight.

She observed the Seekers above her as they searched for the Snitch. Some were darting every which way, recklessly pulling off moves that she suspected to be made strictly for show, and she frowned as she made a note next to their names. Other Seekers were simply hovering in the air and observing while the rest carefully coursed the pitch.

And then right out of nowhere, it seemed, one of the Seekers who had been sitting and observing made an almost vertical dive. Ginny held her breath, thinking for a moment that he was simply showing off or practicing. But then, right when it seemed as if the boy was about to crash into the ground, he leveled out and started racing towards Ginny. That was when she saw the flash of gold which could only be the Snitch.

Ginny stepped out of the way and watched, a smile slowly forming on her face, as the boy sped after the Snitch. The chase lasted for maybe a minute more as the Snitch and Seeker raced all over the pitch, making impressive turns and dives that Ginny could tell were smooth and controlled, not jerky or hasty. At last the boy pulled his broom to a stop somewhere in mid-field, and held up his arm. Ginny could see two wings flapping out either side of his fist. The other Seekers were simply sitting on their brooms in the air, watching him with mouths open; some were scowling.

She waved all of them down towards her. The boy who'd caught the Snitch reached her first and was closely followed by the others.

"You said your name was Ross Donning?" Ginny asked the boy, who nodded. He was breathing heavily and his face was flushed, but a hint of a smile played about his lips. "And what year are you in?"

"Fourth."

"Nice work up there," Ginny smiled. "Pretty impressive."

"Thank you," he said, and his smile got a little brighter.

The other students looked at each other nervously as Ginny's gaze traveled to the rest of them.

"And how come none of you chased after him?" she inquired. The only response she got was silence. "In a real game if the other Seeker starts after something like that, you're not going to just sit by and watch him go, are you? That could be game right there."

A few people mumbled responses and some kicked the ground, not meeting her eyes. All of them looked distinctly displeased with themselves. Ginny cleared her throat. "Alright, everybody back on your brooms and in the air. We'll run the same drill again."

Though the students hastily climbed back onto their brooms and circled the pitch with even more effort than before, Ginny could see on their faces that they'd come to the same conclusion that she'd come to – that Gryffindor had already found its Seeker.

Fifteen minutes later it was confirmed as Ross Donning once again landed on the ground with the Snitch in his hands, and the others, as they followed behind him, grudgingly congratulated him. After retrieving the Snitch from Ross, Ginny instructed everybody to take their seats again while she made the final decisions.

By now she'd gotten used to everybody's eyes on her, though she was no less insecure about the fact. But when she'd crossed off the names of everybody except her six new teammates, she forced a smile on her face and looked at the entire group.

"Congratulations, everybody, on a nice tryout," she said in a voice loud enough for everybody seated at the bottom of the benches to hear. "I appreciate all of you giving me your time this afternoon. When I call your name, please come down here. The rest of you are free to leave."

Clearing her throat one last time and looking down at her list, she called out, "For the two Chasers, Kizzie Price and Clara Krause. For Beaters, Colin Creevey and Dennis Creevey. For Keeper, Jacob Smith. And for Seeker, Ross Donning."

Ginny looked up to see the players walking towards her, all of them smiling. She grinned back at them as they gathered before her; she had to check her guilt at seeing the others amble off, some looking disgruntled, some tired, some resigned, and some relieved. She knew whatever hard feelings they had would blow over soon, for they did every year.

But her eyes caught on two people in particular shuffling out of the stadium and she frowned. It was Martin Darryson and Derrick Sloan, and right before they disappeared in the rest of the departing crowd, Ginny could have sworn that she saw Martin wink at her. Frowning slightly, she wrinkled her nose and willed away the worried feelings rising within her.

Forcing herself to look back at her new teammates, all waiting for her to say something, Ginny smiled once again and her thoughts on the two boys were quickly forgotten.

"Congratulations, all of you," she said. "You really did well up there and I'm positive that Gryffindor can be even better than last year with some hard work and dedication. Our team practices will be on Thursdays at four 'o clock unless I reschedule them due to weather or anything else, in which case I'll notify all of you."

Ginny let her eyes travel around the group, lingering for a moment on each person. It really was a promising looking team. The new Chasers (Ginny was pleased that two girls had made it onto the team) didn't seem to have known each other previously since, as Ginny found out as she talked to them on the way back to the castle, Clara was a fifth year and Kizzie only a third. But both had the build for Chasers – petite yet strong enough to hurl a Quaffle through the air.

All in all, with what looked like someone who could become as good a Seeker as Harry was, Ginny's hopes for the Quidditch season were relatively high that night when she finally got into bed. Right before she drifted off to sleep, her mind revisited the day, and with a frown she remembered seeing the two Slytherin boys at the tryouts. Why had they been there? Ginny knew they weren't on the Slytherin team and she doubted they were there to cheer for _her_ team, so what was their motive?

In the back of her mind, she knew that the motive was _her._ However, she desperately searched for any other reason. To think that they were following her around was frightening enough, but to actually ponder on that possibility meant that it was probably true. The first time she'd encountered them, Draco had been there to save her. But now he wasn't, and though Ginny had always thought that her brothers' overprotective ways were nothing but annoying, now she almost wished that one of them was around. Or better yet, she wished Draco was with her. Maybe his presence would be enough to scare the two Slytherins off.

Ginny frowned and pulled the blanket tighter around her neck. What would Draco think about Martin and Derrick following her around? _He'd probably be furious,_ she thought, and smiled softly into her pillow. The idea that he cared so much, even if he never said so, comforted Ginny; and so even if Draco wasn't physically present to help her, at least she knew he was with her in her mind, and that was enough for Ginny to sleep peacefully and awake in the morning with a fresher and more optimistic outlook on the future.

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**A/N:** I'm sure by now all of you have heard that _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ is coming out in July. Now unless a miracle happens, this story will not be done by then. And a lot of times the release of a new Harry Potter story ruins some fanfictions, which causes the author to abandon them. I'm not going to do that my story, but once we get all the answers about Harry that J.K. is going to give us, then you'll probably see how many plot holes are in my own story. So…like I said, I won't stop writing this story, but just don't laugh or anything when you see how silly it is in comparison to the real thing.

Though I would still appreciate reviews.

Lauren


	12. A New Partnership

I know, you all must hate me. I really didn't mean to wait so long to update! But before I could write more I had to finish the outlining. I wasn't completely slacking off…I did very detailed planning about how this story will end. It's worth the wait, trust me.

And you guys are awesome, did you know that! In _This Is Who You Are, _it took 23 chapters to get 100 reviews, and in this story I got over a hundred in only 11 chapters. I never expected so many people to review, so thank you all so much!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Chapter 12: A New Partnership**

During the weekend, Ginny worked her hardest to finish the homework that should have been done on Friday; however, with running the Quidditch tryouts, she had never gotten the chance to finish.

So when Monday rolled around, Ginny felt good for having caught up over the weekend. Her dorm mates had spent the entire time giggling and gossiping that all of the boys in Hogwarts had grown more handsome over the summer, and when Ginny saw them scrambling at breakfast on Monday to complete their homework, she felt satisfied indeed.

After Transfiguration that afternoon, Ginny ran up to her room and grabbed her turtle dragon egg. She had Care of Magical Creatures in twenty minutes and Hagrid had instructed them to bring the eggs with them.

Ginny picked up the dark green egg and looked at it skeptically; it hadn't grown or quivered at all as if its occupant was eager to see the world. For a moment, Ginny wondered, despite Hagrid's reassurance that a lack of change in the egg was good, if she had perhaps damaged it while traveling to Hogwarts, and as she walked down to Hagrid's hut, she cupped the egg gently in her hands and hoped that the turtle dragon inside was alright.

"Hello, Ginny," Hagrid called out to her when Ginny reached his house.

"Hey, Hagrid."

"Got your egg?"

"Uh-huh," Ginny replied. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong with it?"

Hagrid peered into Ginny's hands. "Has it moved or changed in temperature at all?"

"No…"

"Then it's fine," Hagrid smiled at her. Ginny returned the smile, slightly assured, and watched as Hagrid moved on and continued setting up what looked like cages of some sort.

As Ginny waited for class to start, she looked around the group. Including herself, five Gryffindors were in the class, though they were all sixth years so Ginny didn't know them that well. The only person Ginny considered a friend in the class was Luna Lovegood, whom Ginny was glad had taken the class again this year. The first reason why Ginny was glad was that Luna had always had a love for animals, and her witty remarks about them always made class more interesting.

The second reason manifested as she saw Martin Darryson and Derrick Sloan come down the hill from Hogwarts. Luna was two steps behind them and they all joined the students congregating around Hagrid. Ginny stood next to Luna and pointedly ignored Martin and Derrick as she planned to do for the remainder of the year. Luna was Ginny's safety net in this class, Ginny knew. If she didn't have Luna to distract herself with, then Ginny would be constantly, chillingly aware of the two Slytherins.

"You seem jumpy," Luna remarked, and at having her thoughts interrupted, Ginny did jump a little.

"Sorry. It's just been a long day," replied Ginny.

"I know what you mean," said Luna. "I had Potions today and Professor Snape was in a foul mood. It's probably because September is the month of the Spanish squid, and all that tends to throw people's moods off. Maybe that's why you're so jumpy," she said excitedly.

"Maybe," Ginny said with a smile.

"Did you bring your egg?" inquired Luna, and Ginny held up the green egg for Luna to see. "Oh, mine's brown. Do you think –"

"Alright, class," Hagrid called in a loud voice, and the students stopped talking. "Time to start. Did everybody bring their eggs?" Hagrid's eyes traveled over the students' nodding heads. "Good. Today we're starting a project that will last all year, and for the seventh years among us who are taking advanced Herbology, you'll see why Professor Sprout and I have decided to work together with the turtle dragons this year.

"Now," Hagrid continued, "First let me ask you a question. How many of you have brown eggs?"

Ginny looked around and saw that roughly half of the class raised their hands.

"Okay, you lot have females. The females have brown eggs, they will hatch brown, and they will stay brown. The ones who have green eggs have males, and likewise, the male turtle dragons will be green. Easy enough to tell them apart, right? Now you'll notice that over here," Hagrid said, turning to point to a long row of steel cages behind his house, "I have fifteen cages set up, and there's one for each of you. Find the cage with your name on it and set the egg in the straw. Then come back and I'll tell you more about the turtle dragons."

When she walked to the cages behind Hagrid's hut, Ginny saw that the cages were arranged alphabetically by the students' last names, so she walked to the end of the row where she presumed her cage would be. Indeed, a sign reading "Ginny Weasley" hung over the last cage in the row, so Ginny opened the latch on the door. The cage itself, standing at least three feet tall and twice as long, was ridiculously large for such a tiny egg, and Ginny wondered apprehensively just how big the turtle dragon would get. But she set the egg in the straw-lined bottom of the cage anyway, locked the cage, and returned to Hagrid.

When everybody had come rejoined the group, Hagrid said, "Alright. Now, the eggs won't hatch for another week or two at most and the turtle dragons will stay in their cage throughout the year. You'll notice that the cages are big. That's because the turtle dragons will get big."

"How big?" a Ravenclaw asked.

"When they're full grown," answered Hagrid, "they'll be about a foot tall and two and half feet wide – that's the standard. I think the record length for a turtle dragon was four feet long, but you shouldn't worry about them getting that big, and they won't even be full grown till January or February."

As Ginny glanced back to the row of cages, she saw Martin's eyes on her. Ginny frowned at him, making sure he saw the disgust in her eyes, and was satisfied to see his own eyes harden. She turned her attention back to Hagrid when she saw Martin nudge Derrick and whisper something to him.

"–So you don't have to worry about the fire until they're at least two months old. That's when they start maturing and they can get a bit testy." As he talked, Hagrid's face lit up with excitement, which, in Ginny's eyes, could be a sign of danger. She glanced again at where her egg lied and wondered what kind of monster was inside.

"Now like I was saying," Hagrid continued, "the turtle dragons are half turtle, half dragon, and they –"

"How did someone breed a turtle and a dragon?" a Ravenclaw boy asked. "I mean, isn't that like…impossible?"

Several of the students sniggered and Ginny felt herself begin shaking with laughter at the idea of how the first turtle dragon was conceived.

"It's not impossible," replied Hagrid. "It's a complicated process, but it's been done. Anyway, the turtle dragon looks mostly like a turtle except for some noticeable differences in the neck, legs, and tail. But we'll get into more of that next week. For now, just know that when that turtle dragon hatches, it's yours. You'll come down here once a day to feed it and take notes, for you will keep a journal about the turtle dragon, noting size growth, what they eat, how much, etc. More on that later.

"One other thing about turtle dragons," said Hagrid. "They become very attached to their owners. That is why it will be your responsibility to take care of it. That way you can establish a relationship with each other. As the turtle dragons grow, they will have other needs. For now, though, I'm going to give you your journals and we'll work on constructing them. Your only homework for this week will be to start thinking of a name for your turtle dragon."

Many of the students' faces broke out in smiles at hearing such an easy assignment, and throughout the class as Hagrid instructed them on how to label the sections of the notebook he gave each of them, Ginny figured that perhaps this class wouldn't be so bad after all, even if Martin and Derrick gave her the creeps. The worst they could do to her during class was look at her, and after class, Ginny could walk up to the castle with Luna. Ginny was positive that the two Slytherins were cowards and wouldn't try anything drastic unless they were in their comfort zone, the Slytherin dormitories.

_And since I have no reason to go back there, _Ginny thought, _I'm safe._

When class was over, Ginny followed her plan and walked with Luna back to the castle, asking her what Potions was like this week; Ginny had the class tomorrow with the Hufflepuffs and wanted to know what to expect.

"All we did today was go over formulas for different potions," Luna said. "It was confusing and he gave us an essay to write on it by the next class."

"Great," groaned Ginny.

"Well I'll see you later, Ginny," said Luna when they walked back inside the castle. "I've got Herbology homework and then prefect rounds later."

Ginny frowned. "You're a prefect? When did that happen?"

"One of the girls in Ravenclaw who was a prefect last year asked the Head Boy and Girl a week ago if she could quit, so they made me prefect instead."

"Head Boy is Kyle Perry, right?" Ginny asked, referring to the Hufflepuff seventh year.

"Yeah, and Head Girl is Patty McDugal," Luna sighed. "We share a dorm together, and I don't like her that much. I blame her rudeness on the fact that she was born on a leap year in the Artic Ocean –her parents were on a cruise at the time, I guess– but still…you know how she is."

"Yeah." Patty McDugal had, as far as Ginny knew, never had a real friend, probably due to the fact that she offended nearly everybody who talked to her. Ginny thankfully only saw her in Defense Against the Dark Arts. "How was _she_ made Head Girl?"

"I don't know," said Luna as she started down the hallway that led to the Ravenclaw dormitories. "Probably because she follows the rules and gets good grades." She shrugged as she walked away.

Ginny spent the rest of the day in the Gryffindor common room concentrating on the homework she'd been given in her other classes. The younger students, mainly the second and third years, were rowdier than ever and Ginny constantly sent them glares. Surely she'd never been that annoying when she was younger? But these students were fearless; one boy even went so far as pouring what she recognized as one of Fred and George's inventions on Colin as he and Dennis had a conversation.

As a result of the joke, Colin's voice became low and sultry like a woman's. It created quite a sensation when Colin furiously chased the boy around the room, all the while yelling in an enticingly romantic voice. Ginny was doubled over at her table in laughter, tears streaming out of her eyes. Colin, when he saw her, glared.

"What's so funny?" he snapped, and Ginny only laughed harder at the sound of the woman's voice.

Clutching her stomach, Ginny pointed at Colin and gasped out, "It sounds like you're trying to seduce him, not beat him up."

Colin frowned at her and continued chasing after the boy, eventually catching him and forcing him to hand over the antidote.

Ginny decided not to tell Colin that she was sorry the joke hadn't lasted longer; it had been highly amusing.

* * *

The rest of the week passed quickly for Ginny. The first Quidditch practice of the year had gone well in Ginny's eyes – everybody had shown up on time with enthusiastic attitudes, everybody had performed as well as they had in tryouts, and nobody had complained once. In fact, the role of Quidditch captain came to Ginny much easier than she thought it would've; after holding tryouts in front of nearly fifty students, running practice was no problem.

The way Ginny's classes were scheduled, she figured that having Quidditch practices on Thursday would be the best thing to do, because on Thursday, the only class she had was Charms. However, Ginny soon discovered that Thursday only had one class so that she could finish the homework given to her the other four days of the week.

And so at four 'o clock on Thursday afternoon, instead of leisurely strolling down to the Quidditch pitch early to set things up after a relaxing afternoon, Ginny had had to dash out of the castle and abandon the Potions essay she'd been trying to finish; the first thing the next morning she had a double period in Potions and Snape wouldn't be pleased if she hadn't finished the homework.

Indeed, by the time Ginny rolled out of bed the next morning, her essay was only halfway completed. She skipped breakfast altogether so that she'd have one last opportunity to finish the homework, but it still needed several paragraphs before it would be considered acceptable by Snape.

As class started that morning, Ginny looked at Snape writing instructions on the blackboard. He turned around when he was finished and his eyes swept over the class.

"Has everybody finished the assignment I gave them on Tuesday?" he called out, taking a seat as his desk. "Pass them to the front of your rows and hand them to me."

There was a shuffling of papers as everybody retrieved their essays from their bags and passed them to the person at the front of their row of desks. Ginny reluctantly let go of hers and watched it make its way into Snape's hands. She bit her lip, knowing what was about to come, and stared at the top of her desk. She knew exactly what was happening right now. Snape was quickly looking through each essay to see if it met the length requirements. If it did, he would set it in a pile on the corner of his desk for grading and if it didn't, he would skim through the assignment to see if it had even been completed. Had the essays been completed but simply fallen short of the length requirement, he would frown and set them in a separate pile for contemplation. However, if the essays hadn't even been finished, he would call out the students. Ginny cringed; any moment now, Snape would say her name and –

"Weasley," he snapped. "Why didn't you finish your essay?"

"I'm sorry, Professor," replied Ginny. "I ran out of time."

"You ran out of time?" Snape repeated, his lip curling into a sneer. "Well I'm so sorry. I'm sure you have so many other important things to do so why should you concern yourself with a Potions essay?"

"No, Professor Snape, that's not what –"

"Did I ask for an explanation?" bellowed Snape, his eyes flashing. "No." He set Ginny's homework down and stood from the desk. "Report to this classroom tomorrow evening at seven 'o clock. You have detention. Now for those of you who actually did what I assigned you, take out your textbook and turn to page twenty. We'll be going over the potions formulas again before we move on."

Her insides burning with embarrassment, Ginny pulled out her book and turned to the correct page. This wasn't the first time she'd been called out for not finishing a homework assignment, but it was the first time in two years. Back when she had been a fifth year, it hadn't been quite so embarrassing; most of the kids then goofed off from time to time and failed to finish a homework assignment.

But now that Ginny was seventeen, episodes like this became rarer and more shameful. The least Snape could do was wait and talk to her after class when nobody was around to hear, but Snape seemed to enjoy seeing the shamed student squirm with embarrassment.

Ginny cursed him under her breath for the rest of the class.

* * *

After dinner Friday night, Draco walked into the library of Grimmauld Place and took a seat to wait for Professor McGonagall to show up. He, along with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ewan, had been informed that morning that their Animagi lessons would begin after dinner.

Draco was more thankful for the start of lessons than he was willing to admit to anybody. For the past week, he had two choices of activity. One – he could sit in his room and wait for boredom to bring death. Or two – he could leave his room, search out Harry and Ron, and fight with them. The latter held more appeal for Draco, but after Hermione's words last week, he found it more and more difficult to be nasty to Harry Potter. Draco had been told by Hermione to be nicer to Harry and Ron so that if he and Ginny ever revealed their secret, he wouldn't be trampled by a horde of angry Weasleys. So though Draco detested the idea of being nice to Harry, he was refraining from being overly rude. And for Draco to safely accomplish that, he stayed in his room.

That was one reason why learning how to become an Animagi appealed to him so much – it gave him something to actually do. Another reason why Draco's excitement had risen was because becoming an Animagi meant he was one step closer to leaving Grimmauld Place and searching for the horcruxes. Once that was done…well, Draco would have a whole world open to him, one he'd never experienced before.

"I see you made it early," came a voice from the doorway. Shaken from his musings, Draco turned and saw Ewan Swestan walking into the library, a massive room consisting of thirteen books altogether.

"I guess so." Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just anxious to actually _do _something. When I joined the Order, I didn't plan on sitting on my arse all day being bored."

Ewan sat down across from Draco, laughing. "I know what you mean. Hermione and I just got back from the Ministry of Magic –that's why we weren't at dinner, you know– and we signed up for Auror training."

"You did?" Draco asked, sitting up with a frown as envy filled him. What would it be like to be out there training, learning new spells, exercising not only the body but the mind as well?

"Uh-huh," replied Ewan, oblivious to Draco's feeling of suppression. "We figure we can help the Order even more if we're properly trained."

"Lucky you…"

They fell into a silence that wasn't unfriendly, and Draco sighed. Although he had no idea why Ewan Swestan would want to date Hermione, he found that the guy wasn't half as annoying as Harry and Ron were. He seemed to be smarter and, after the initial shock had worn off, had treated Draco friendly. Ewan hadn't seemed to mind that Draco's father was one of Voldemort's top Death Eaters, and he had seemed to accept Draco as one of the good guys.

Hearing a commotion that sounded like Ron Weasley's usual bellow coming from the hallway, Draco once again looked to the door.

"But I don't see why the two of you got to sign up for Auror training! How come I couldn't?" Ron whined as he, Harry, and Hermione walked into the room.

"You couldn't because you won't be around here much longer anyway," said Hermione, "and Harry can't either because he's not allowed to leave Grimmauld. I, on the other hand, am under no such restraints and I want to fight."

"So you're going to be an Auror for the rest of your life?" asked Harry, and Draco could tell from his voice that Harry was feeling resentful towards Hermione; it made Draco feel better that Harry felt as strained as Draco from being locked inside Grimmauld Place so long.

"No, I don't want to be an Auror," Hermione replied. "I want to do something more meaningful –"

"Being an Auror is meaningful!" exclaimed Ron indignantly.

"Well yes," continued Hermione as she sat on the couch next to Ewan, "but I'd rather do something along the lines of helping muggle/wizard relations…or I could work on developing S.P.E.W. and see where that goes."

Ron snickered. "Spew? Come on, Hermione, nobody in the Ministry cares about rights for house elves."

"You don't know that, Ron," Hermione frowned. "House elves are a significant part of wizard lifestyle and they deserve to be treated more fairly!"

"But they're _house elves_, Hermione," Ron said. "They don't care about having holidays."

Draco could see Hermione bristling at Ron's words and he rolled his eyes; he'd heard the two of them have arguments about Spew so many times he almost felt like he was part of the organization.

"Look, Ron, just because you're so narrow-minded doesn't mean that everybody else in the world is!" Hermione exclaimed. "I'm sure there are plenty of people in the Ministry who'd like to help. In fact –"

"Alright, just cool it, you two," Harry cut in. "We're going to be learning about Animagi. We don't need to be fighting now."

Ron's face looked sour, but he kept quiet. Moving closer to Hermione, Ewan put an arm around her shoulders and said, "I think S.P.E.W. is a good idea and you should pursue it."

"Of course _you'd_ say that…" Ron muttered.

Hermione opened her mouth to reply but Draco beat her to it. "Just drop the Spew thing, will you?" he sighed, looking at Ron and Hermione in exasperation. "I'm getting sick of hearing the same old argument. You, Granger, think it's some savior project, and you, Weasley, think it's bollocks. So there, no more arguing about it."

For a moment there was a silence in which Draco proudly sat back in his seat enjoying the fact that he'd struck Ron dumb. Then Ron turned and murmured something to Harry, all the while looking at Draco as if he'd suddenly grown a second head.

Draco gazed at Hermione, challenging her to say something about Spew, but she shrugged her shoulders and said to Harry, "Do you know what kind of animal you'll change into once you become an Animagi?"

"Not really," Harry answered. "From what I understand you don't find out until you change for the first time. Right?"

"Well I hope I turn into something useful," Ewan said. "As long as it's not a toad, I'll be happy."

"You wouldn't turn into a _toad_," Hermione said with a laugh. "Maybe a frog, but not a toad."

Ewan smiled and leaned in closer to Hermione. As if he was no longer aware of any other occupants in the room, Ewan whispered to Hermione, "Well then, all you have to do is kiss me and I'll turn into Prince Charming."

Desperately wishing he hadn't just heard that last sentence, Draco wrinkled his nose and turned away disgustedly. The last thing he needed now was to listen to Hermione and her boyfriend flirting.

It seemed Draco wasn't the only one put off, because Harry and Ron shifted uncomfortably, both of them still standing. When he saw Ewan start to lean in closer to Hermione, Ron said quickly, "Alright, that's enough now. Don't go getting all romantic in front of us."

Ewan, looking put out, pulled back from Hermione, whose red face betrayed her discomposure. Draco was for once glad that Ron had butt in. However, now the room fell into an awkward silence, the kind that grew in intensity as each second passed, and when Draco could actually hear the four others breathing, he snapped. This wasn't his element…this waiting around with the famed trio from Hogwarts. What he needed was an argument, something to give him back the edge that he so desperately clung to, his safety net. Deciding on redheaded prey, Draco said, "So, Weasley, since we're on the topic of animal forms, what do you reckon yours will be? I for one think it'd be more than a little ironic if you turned into a weasel."

"I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you," Ron said, sounding bored with the conversation although Draco could see the stirrings of anger in the other boy's eyes. "I'm sure that would make you all warm and fuzzy inside, huh?"

"I don't get warm and fuzzy."

"Don't we all know it," snapped Ron. "I think your animal form will be a snake, slithering around on your belly, below everybody else. That's where you belong. Or better yet, what would be really ironic is if you turned into a ferret."

"Watch out, Weasley, I bite," Draco said through clenched teeth, trying with all his might to remember what Hermione had told him about not angering Ron, for Ginny's sake.

"Well I have a wand," Ron claimed. "You know, a wand? Used by wizards? Does magic? Biting won't work against that."

"You don't need a wand," Draco snarled. "All you have to do is breathe on your enemy; they take one whiff of the foul odor coming out of your mouth and drop dead on the spot." For added emphasis, Draco fanned his nose. "I can smell you all the way over here."

This time Ron frowned and he was about to retort when into the room walked Professor McGonagall.

"Good, I see that you're all here. We can start immediately," McGonagall said, her voice as brisk as ever. "Everybody take a seat. This won't take long."

Draco, settled comfortably in an old leather chair, watched as Harry and Ron squished onto the couch with Hermione and Ewan; a couch and a chair were all the furniture the meager library offered, and Draco was intensely glad that he had chosen to sit on the chair, for literally knocking knees with Harry and Ron didn't sound appealing.

"Like I said," McGonagall continued once everybody was seated, "this won't take long. I am merely going to explain the process of transforming into an Animagi tonight and give you an assignment to work on for a couple of days before I come back."

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath before beginning. "Now then, the process of becoming an Animagi is not complicated, but it is very difficult. Many wizards never even become an Animagi no matter how long they practice. Unlike other forms of magic, such as conjuring a Patronus, to become an Animagi, you do not need to say a spell."

"You don't need magic?" Hermione asked, frowning slightly.

"Oh no, you have to be magic," McGonagall corrected her. "You have to _be_ magical, but you don't have to perform magic. The magic already inside you is what makes the process possible. So you don't say an incantation. If you did, transforming yourself wouldn't be so hard. It has to do more with getting in the right state of mind."

Wondering if anybody else was confused too, Draco looked around the room, satisfied slightly to see Ron looking completely bewildered. But when he heard his former Transfiguration teacher continue, Draco turned his attention back to her.

"The first thing to do in order to become an animal," said McGonagall, "is to distance your mind from your human body. To do this, you must concentrate on nothing, and therein lies the difficulty in the whole process." Her lips quirked into a tight smile. "When you try to concentrate on _nothing_, you end up concentrating on _everything_. That is the part that many wizards never accomplish.

"However, when you have achieved the right state of mind, you close your eyes and envision your spirit leaving your body. This is another step that fools many, for while you are _still_ concentrating on nothing, you must distance your mind, your spirit, from your body. Understand so far?" McGonagall's sharp eyes traveled around the room, inspecting each person for any sign of confusion. When they landed on Draco, he slowly nodded his head even though the process of transformation sounded more difficult than he had hoped.

"Alright then," McGonagall said slowly. "Once your mind is open and distanced from your body, your inner animalistic instincts will be made manifest in the animal that represents them the most. You will most likely start to feel loose, as if your skin has stopped holding your body together. This is the beginning of your body changing into that of the animal. If at any time during the transformation you start concentrating on anything other than your mind and body separating, the transformation will stop and you'll find yourself completely human again."

With a sigh, Professor McGonagall started to pace the room slowly, still looking at her pupils. "That is the difficult part, maintaining the right state of mind throughout the experience. If you manage to do it, however, you will find yourself in animal form, and once you are in that form, you can think about anything you want. You will have all the smarts and knowledge of your human self, but you will be completely animal. We'll talk about how to change back into your human form later on, though."

Before she could go on, Harry raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked.

"You said that we're not supposed to concentrate on anything," Harry said, "but how are we supposed to do that while we're concentrating on _not_ concentrating?"

McGonagall smiled again. "That is the difficulty of the whole process, Mr. Potter, and many a great man has stumped himself on the same question. You see, the trick is to concentrate on not concentrating."

Draco, along with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ewan, frowned, but he didn't say anything despite his confusion.

"I know the concept sounds impossible right now," said Professor McGonagall, "but you'll get the hang of it eventually. That is what your homework is for the next few days, to practice concentrating on nothing. I'll give you a little tip, though," she said, and Draco looked at her more closely as if afraid he'd miss the important clue.

"When I was first learning to concentrate on nothing, I started by envisioning a wall. I'd concentrate hard on one particular stone in the wall until I forgot that the rest of the wall existed. And when I had done that, I eventually let go of that one stone until there was nothing in my mind. You can try that, if you want, but you'll probably end up finding your own niche.

"Anyway," she continued, "that is all for tonight. I will check back tomorrow evening to see how it's going with the concentration, but we won't start anything else for another week. I want all of you to understand this completely before we move on. Any questions?"

Though Draco's mind still spun with the complexity of the magic, he shook his head. After Professor McGonagall had returned to Hogwarts and after the others had left, Draco remained in his chair in the library.

For a while he tried to empty his mind and concentrate on nothing, but he soon found out that McGonagall was right – whenever he tried, everything else in his life seemed to pop into his head.

So, deciding to give it a shot in the morning, Draco let his thoughts wander to their favorite subject, Ginny. A clock on the wall told him that it was now nine-thirty; Ginny might be in bed by now if she didn't have too much homework. He wondered what else she was doing at Hogwarts, if she had made new friends, if she still thought about him, if she missed him.

It bothered Draco that he thought this much about her. He knew that he would miss Ginny when she left for school, but he hadn't known how much of the day he'd actually spend thinking about her. The fact that he depended on someone so much was what bothered him, because although he had put most of his past behind him, he knew that relying on someone so much could bring trouble. It was one thing his father had always taught him, "Never become attached to anybody. They'll either turn against you or be used against you."

Draco knew that Ginny would never turn against him, but he still worried about her being used against him. Lucius by now, wherever he was, must be furious with Draco, who couldn't shake the fact that Lucius knew one important thing: Ginny had been seen with Narcissa Malfoy…and Lucius was hunting for Narcissa Malfoy.

It wouldn't take long for Lucius to figure out that Ginny and Draco knew each other outside of school. After all, Draco had helped Narcissa escape and Ginny had been seen with Narcissa. But would Lucius ever confront Ginny about it? As long as she stayed in Hogwarts, Ginny was safe; not even Lucius dared to harm her under Dumbledore's eye. But what would happen when she left? Or what would happen if Lucius decided to pay her a visit one day when she went to Hogsmeade?

The thoughts disturbed Draco, and even though he didn't want to think about the possibilities of what might happen to her, he knew they were present. Fueling his already raging temper was the fact that he couldn't protect her, not while he was stuck here in Grimmauld Place. That drove home the fact that he needed to put aside his bickering with Harry and Ron. Maybe not for his sake, but for Ginny's, and that _was_ one thing Draco could do to protect her – get out of Grimmauld Place, help destroy Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and eliminate the threat to not only Ginny, but all the wizarding world.

Sighing, summoning his resolve and courage, Draco decided to get the worst over with and seek Harry out. He couldn't believe he was doing it, couldn't believe that he was willingly, purposefully looking for Potter to call a truce with him, but yet that's what he did.

Draco reached the room he believed to be Harry's and paused. Someone was shouting from the inside, and he wondered for a moment if he had the wrong room. But he knew from seeing Harry walk in and out of the room that it was the right one, so taking one last breath, he knocked loudly.

"What!" the irate person, whom he now recognized as Hermione, shouted from the inside.

As he walked into the room, Draco said, "That's some welcome. I feel so loved, Granger. Thank you. 'What.' I don't believe I've ever heard it put so elegantly." Draco smirked a little, but his flippancy fell when Hermione glared at him furiously. Slightly confused by her sudden mood swing from earlier, Draco looked around Harry's room; Harry, looking like a scolded yet rebellious child, stood with his arms over his chest in one corner; other than the three of them, the room was empty.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy," Harry demanded.

"What, I can't come visit my favorite scarhead without being interrogated?" Draco quipped, and he realized that his levity had to do with being so uncomfortable with the situation; normally he wouldn't joke around with Harry or Hermione.

Hermione let out a little scream. "This is what I'm talking about! The two of you have got to stop this!" She stomped her foot on the ground, glaring with such ferocity at Harry and Draco that Draco took a step backward.

"Oh no you don't!" Hermione shouted. "Close that door and get in here."

Despite himself, his previous notion of making amends with Harry forgotten, Draco shut the door, completely blindsided by this suddenly vicious-looking Hermione Granger.

"I am sick and tired of you two biting at each other's necks all the time," Hermione said, rounding on the two boys, her eyes wild and dangerous. "You think you're so different from each other, but you're not!" She stepped closer to Draco, pointing an accusing finger at him, and Draco scuttled around her, now standing next to Harry. They both glanced at each other and for the first time, there was neither hate nor arrogance in their eyes, but a genuine confusion; they looked back at Hermione.

"Tell me why," she said as she faced both Harry and Draco, "tell me why the two of you are in here instead of out there." She waved her arm in front of her, gazing at the walls enclosing them. "Why is it that you _both_ are in here?"

Nobody answered her question, and Draco, glancing at Harry out of the corner of his eye, saw that he was looking down at the floor. As Hermione gazed back and forth between the two boys, Draco slowly looked back at her.

"You _both_ are in here because _neither_ of you can be out there. It's too dangerous for the both of you. And for either of you to have a shot at a normal life, Voldemort has to be dead. Both of you were given destinies that you obviously didn't want. You, Harry," Hermione stated, looking at her friend. "You were given a fate before you were even born. And look where it landed you.

"And you, Malfoy," she continued, and Draco found that he couldn't find the disdain in himself to even glare at her when she rounded on him, "you're here because ever since you were born, you were fated to become some great Death Eater and follow in your father's footsteps."

Hermione fell silent once more, and Draco could tell by the way her jaw clenched that she was having a difficult time keeping all of her emotions straight. Her eyes shone with tears, but whether they were tears of anger, sadness, or something else, he didn't know.

"But both of you," Hermione said, a bit more quietly than before, "are trying to change your destinies. You're both trying to fight them and come out alive. But you know what? Neither of you can do this alone. You need each other to survive." Her voice was steadily back on the rise, angry emotion laced with every word. "And damn it if I'm going to stand by and watch the two of you fight each other instead of the one you _should_ be fighting!"

Draco's eyes widened slightly but he otherwise showed none of the astonishment he felt inside. He didn't know whether to resent her words or be, to his chagrin, a bit proud by them.

"Harry," Hermione insisted, walking closer to her friend. Harry was gazing anywhere but at her face, but slowly, though Draco could see it pained him to do so, he brought his eyes up to meet Hermione's. She looked at him for a second longer before moving to stand in front of Draco.

"Draco," she said heavily, and Draco was so shocked by her using his first name that it was all he could do to stop his jaw from dropping open; it did slacken, despite his efforts.

Hermione shook her head and walked towards the door, looking back at Harry and Draco. "The two of you need to get over your prejudice. You're not eleven years old anymore! Get over yourselves and start acting like adults. Then once Voldemort is dead and the two of you are free to walk about without the fear of being killed…_then_ you can go back to hating each other."

Without another word, Hermione spun on her feet and stalked out of the room, leaving a very stunned Draco and Harry behind. For quite a while, they both just stood there, the only sound being Hermione's angry footsteps stomping up the stairs. As a door slammed above them, Harry flinched.

Finally breaking the silence, Draco said, "And the funny thing is, I was coming up here to actually offer a truce." He shook his head and glanced at Harry.

"You were?" Harry asked, surprise in his voice.

"Yeah…someone has to be man about this." Draco couldn't resist one last bite at Harry, who didn't even register the insult but instead sat on his bed.

"She followed me in here when we left the library and started lecturing me about you," said Harry. "She said someone had to step up and make the first move. I said I didn't want to, so she just started yelling."

"She may seem like a crazy bint," Draco said, "but as much as I still detest you, I think she has a point."

Harry didn't say anything, but he slowly looked up at Draco as if contemplating how serious he was. Draco looked back at him, not showing any emotion. In truth, he didn't know how to feel. He expected that he should be biting his tongue with frustration, but inside he just felt empty. Draco recalled all of the fighting he and Harry had done over the years, but right now, it all seemed like nothing. The only important thing was that Voldemort was out there, and as long as he was, Harry and Draco were no longer Gryffindor and Slytherin, no longer enemies, no longer contenders…they were simply two young men both trying to gain the freedom and security they'd never had.

"Like she said," Harry said slowly, "we can go back to killing each other after he's gone, right?"

An image of two fat and wrinkled eighty year old men, one with a scar on his forehead and the other with wispy white hair, fighting each other jumped to Draco's mind and he grinned in spite of himself. "Sure," Draco said. "I can wait to kick your ass."

Harry glanced at Draco, who could have sworn he saw a smile almost surface, but it was quickly swallowed by a frown. "You never change, do you?" Harry asked. His tone wasn't accusing or angry, Draco could tell, simply curious.

"Everybody changes," Draco said with a shrug.

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"You know what. Why are you agreeing to a truce?"

"I'm not doing it for me," Draco said as an image of Ginny came to his mind. She was standing there smiling at him, her face framed by the wild red hair that he loved to run his hands through. She appeared as beautiful as always, and Draco knew right then that coming to Harry had been worth it.

"Well who are you doing it for, then?" Harry asked, standing from the bed. "Your mother?"

Draco hesitated, the picture of Ginny's face still in his mind. "Yeah…I'm doing it for my mum," he said.

Harry nodded, accepting this answer, and stuck out his hand. "Well then, friends?"

"Never."

"Well what then, comrades?" Harry asked. "Partners?"

Déjà vu overcame Draco and another image of Ginny came to his mind, one from before the two of them liked each other. She had asked him that same question back at school. Draco had taken her hand then, and, with a slightly amused smile on his face, Draco took Harry's now.

"Sure. I can handle being partners."

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**A/N:** While I did the planning for the rest of the story, I figured out that this will only go through Ginny's seventh year. I had originally planned to follow what happened to her after Hogwarts, but with the way I have it all planned out now, it's going to just go through her seventh.

Also, I think my favorite part of this chapter was the end where Harry said "Partners?" Since that same scene and line between Ginny and Draco in TIWYA set in motion the whole story, it seemed neat to me to put it in here. It wasn't planned or anything, it just showed up. Anyway, thanks for your patience and your reviews! They mean everything.

Lauren


	13. The Arbiter of Sorrow

Well, my readers, I know it's been forever, but here at last is the next chapter. I apologize for not doing this sooner. I really have no excuse. But I hope that this will never happen again, and I thank all of you that will continue to read even though I was awful these past few months.

Disclaimer: I don't own this.

**Chapter 13: The Arbiter of Sorrow**

Welcoming the feeling of security it gave him, Draco sought out his room and stepped into the blackness. After his and Harry's tentative agreement to no longer fight, a thought that thoroughly unsettled Draco, any sort of security was nice. The conversation he'd just had with Harry had been tiring, yet refreshing. A massive weight seemed to climb off Draco's chest once he realized that Dumbledore could no longer keep them in Grimmauld Place; once they developed a plan, he, Harry, and Ron could start searching for the horcruxes and bring them one step closer to freedom.

However, Draco felt that he'd somehow lost part of himself in that conversation. He'd detested Harry Potter since the day his offer of friendship had been rejected by the bespectacled boy. Since then, he'd done as much as possible to make Harry regret that day, and just a few minutes ago he had gone and offered peace. It wasn't who he was, it wasn't Draco Malfoy. Yet he knew that to get his own life back, sacrifices had to be made.

And like Harry had said, once Voldemort was gone, they could happily go back to hating each other. That was the one part that comforted Draco, and he decided to focus on that aspect rather than the fact that he could no longer torture Harry. Or Ron, for that matter, Draco just now realized. Beating on Ron may seem like a secondary way to beat on Harry, and Draco scowled as he realized that his two stress relievers were gone. He did grin, though, at the thought of Ron's face when Harry told him about the truce; he'd most likely be as infuriated with it as Draco was.

_What will it be like to not fight with them, _Draco wondered that night as he tried to sleep. _To work together as a team…partners. _

In the last few seconds before Draco fell asleep, he tossed the idea around in his head. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad as long as they were out in the world with all of the action to distract themselves from the fact that they were working together. Draco snorted into his pillow. Dumbledore probably hadn't thought they'd actually stop fighting. Well, he'd see. The next time he came to Grimmauld Place, he'd finally have to open his eyes to the fact that the three boys could be trusted and allowed out on their own.

* * *

After eating dinner Saturday evening, a very grumpy Ginny trudged down to the Potions classroom for her detention. Inwardly she seethed, still hating Snape for giving her a detention so soon after coming back to school. She already had plenty of work to do; she didn't need a pointless detention just because her essay hadn't been completed.

Ginny didn't even care if Snape worked for Dumbledore and was part of the Order. In her mind, the man was evil.

And so, still grumbling, she reluctantly walked into the Potions classroom and took a seat, waiting for Snape to arrive. She glanced at the clock and rolled her eyes. _Seven 'o clock – right on time. But Snape isn't on time, oh no. He can give the detention and expect me to show up promptly, but him? Of course not, he doesn't have to show up._

While Ginny closed her eyes and willed her anger to settle before Snape came and she started yelling at him, the office door opened and in walked the professor himself, looking down at a stack of homework in his hands. Ginny eyed him apprehensively, waiting for him to notice her. When he sat at his desk, still reading the parchment, Ginny cleared her throat.

Snape's head snapped up and he frowned. "Weasley," he said, "what are you doing here?"

Ginny blinked, caught off guard. "You uh, gave me detention this afternoon, sir."

"I did no such thing, Weasley. Now leave. I am extremely busy right now," Snape replied.

Ginny didn't know what to say, but for a moment she did wonder if perhaps she was mistaken, if she had the wrong night. But no, today was Saturday. Yesterday in class Snape had told her to come to his office. Surely he couldn't have forgotten?

"But sir," Ginny said, "yesterday you gave me a detention. Remember? For not finishing my essay?"

Snape looked back up at Ginny, and she saw that something about him was off. His hair and clothes were properly in place, but his eyes looked a bit redder, as if he hadn't slept soundly in a while.

"Miss Weasley," Snape growled, "I said that I did not give you detention. Are your ears too filled with wax to understand me? Get out of my sight now before I actually do give you detention."

Scrambling out of her seat, Ginny glanced once more at her professor but he already had his head down again. And so, not quite sure what to make of Snape forgetting the detention, she left the classroom.

As she started walking up the stairs out of the dungeons, Ginny saw two familiar faces coming down them, and her heart sank. Martin Darryson and Derrick Sloan. Sending them a defiant look, Ginny moved to one side of the stair case and intended to completely ignore them.

However, they had other plans. As they neared each other, Derrick, the dark haired one, slid to her side of the stair case and leaned nonchalantly against the wall.

"Hey there, Weasley," Martin said. "What brings you down to the dungeons this fine evening?"

"Certainly not you." She sent them both disgusted looks. "Now get out of my way."

"Now now, don't get testy," Martin replied, smiling coldly.

"Yeah, we just want to talk with you," Derrick added.

"I said _get out of my way_," she snapped, her anger and fear combining to lend a dangerous tone to her voice. She tried to get between them and continue on her way, but Martin stuck his arm out and blocked her path, still smiling as if he thought her amusing.

"Like I said, we're not going to hurt you," said Martin. "Just want to talk."

Ginny was so close to both of them that she could feel their breath, and the smell of dinner's garlic bread reeking hot on her face only made her want to get away faster. From the way the two of them were leering at her, both of their eyes dark and beady, she knew that they had more than just "talk" on their minds.

Reminded very much of last year when she had elbowed Martin in the eye, Ginny decided to spread some of the love to Derrick this time. She didn't even stop to pull out her wand. Summoning her strength and gritting her teeth, she lifted her leg, briefly reminded of the fights she'd had with her brothers as a little kid, and kicked Derrick in the shin with all her might. The boy doubled over in pain, howling, and this gave Ginny enough time to scoot past him and dash up the rest of the stairs.

She glanced over her shoulder to see if the boys were going to give chase, but Derrick was still clutching his leg and Martin was merely gazing back at her, a determined, almost amused look on his face. The look sent chills up her spine, but she turned away and kept running. Even with her sides screaming with pain, she didn't stop until she was safely inside the Gryffindor common room.

* * *

In the following two weeks, Ginny kept a close eye out for Martin and Derrick. It seemed, however, that both of them had backed off a bit. The only places that Ginny saw them now were at mealtimes and at Care of Magical Creatures, and during those times they were almost constantly watching her.

When Ginny entered her dormitory early that evening, she saw a letter sitting on her bed.

"An owl brought that a few minutes ago," her dorm-mate Gina said distractedly; she was busy scribbling on a piece of parchment herself. "I put it on your bed."

"Thanks," said Ginny, and she eagerly opened the letter. Perhaps it was from Draco?

_Ginny,_

_Come down to my hut as soon as you get this. Your turtle dragon is hatching!_

_-Hagrid_

Ginny frowned when she saw that the letter was not from Draco, but couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of finally seeing her turtle dragon.

She tossed the letter back on her bed and sped out of the castle. The evenings started coming earlier and earlier these days as summer started to fade away, but they were still just as steamy as ever, and by the time Ginny reached Hagrid's hut, she was starting to perspire. She knocked rapidly on his door but received no answer. So, knowing of only one other place where Hagrid would be at a time like this, she ran around back to where the cages of turtle dragons lay.

Hagrid sat hunched over the cage where Ginny's turtle dragon was, and she jogged up to him.

"Hey, Ginny, thanks fer comin'," said Hagrid happily. "This little fellow's ready to meet ya!"

Ginny looked into the turtle dragon's cage that her turtle dragon egg rested in and saw that several pieces of the egg's tough exterior had fallen off, revealing a thin membrane through which she could see her turtle dragon stirring.

"How long has it been like that?" she asked.

"An hour would be my guess. I just came around back a little bit ago and noticed him. Here, get in there and move some straw, make him more comfortable." Hagrid gave Ginny a nudge that sent her to her knees, and she reached into the cage and arranged some more straw around the egg.

"How long will it take for him to hatch?" Ginny asked, eyeing the egg. She could see part of the turtle dragon poke through the membrane.

"Not long, I don't think," Hagrid said excitedly. "Oh I just love it when these hatch. Hi there, little guy," he addressed the baby dragon. "How are ya?"

Ginny smiled and watched the turtle dragon slowly yet purposefully push its way out of the egg until it lay fragilely on the straw. At first she thought that the dragon couldn't be uglier; it was dark green, thin, and was so wrinkly around the face and neck that Ginny wondered if perhaps it was deformed.

"Isn't he beautiful," Hagrid said lovingly.

"Yeah," murmured Ginny, smiling as the turtle dragon poked its nose into the air; its eyes were still closed.

"I've got a towel here. Wrap him up a bit so he don't get cold."

Ginny took the towel from Hagrid and hesitantly reached into the cage and picked up the dragon, which was warm to the touch and still slightly sticky from being in the egg. She marveled at how small the thing was. Altogether, the dragon was perhaps six inches long and as soon as Ginny wrapped the towel around him, his mouth parted and she smiled softly when she saw the tip of a tiny pink tongue show itself.

She brought the bundle close to her chest and gazed down at the turtle dragon, calm and peaceful. She had thought that when it was first born, the dragon might be unruly or upset, but it appeared as if the dragon was sleeping already.

"Have ya got a name picked out fer him yet?" Hagrid asked.

"I kind of liked Henry. What do you think?"

"Hmm. I think it fits."

"What do you think, huh Henry?" Ginny asked softly. "Do you like your name?"

All Henry did was continue to rest in her arms, but Ginny felt him give a little sigh.

"Henry it is, then."

* * *

Time passed slowly at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Draco, Harry, and Ron continued their truce and while it became strained at times, it had yet to break. Hermione, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, seemed elated about this, especially Hermione. Just the other day, she told Draco that he had made real progress. Draco wasn't sure how to react to a compliment from her, and so he had simply grunted and ignored her; he was still getting used to the idea that she knew about Ginny and him, and that she was keeping it a secret from her two best friends. This puzzled Draco to no end, but he supposed it was only because she was friends with Ginny.

In the few instances that Dumbledore had come to Grimmauld Place, he recognized the fact that the three young men had stopped arguing with each other. Draco had hoped this meant that they'd get to start searching for the horcruxes soon, but Dumbledore had insisted on waiting a while. He wanted them to have a better understanding of what and where the remaining horcruxes were. In Draco's opinion, there was no need to wait longer. They already knew what three of them were, and by the time they had found and destroyed those three, they'd probably have already figured out the fourth. Why bother waiting to find that one out as well?

The one problem they did have was where to look for the horcruxes. During the meetings they'd had in the past few weeks, Order members suggested ideas of where the horcruxes could be hidden. Nagini was a given – she'd be somewhere near Voldemort. The Hufflepuff cup and the Slytherin locket, however, would be trickier to locate. From what the Order knew, Voldemort was hiding the horcruxes in places that held some meaning to him.

In one of the most recent meetings, Harry had suggested going back to where Voldemort was born and tracing his life from there on. That way, he had said, they would cover every spot Voldemort had ever been to, and they'd be sure to find a horcrux there. To the surprise of everybody present that night, Draco had voiced his agreement. Draco hadn't intended to say it, but he did agree with Harry, and perhaps if Dumbledore saw the two of them agreeing on a plan, he might be more ready to let them go.

So far there had been no word from the old man, however, and Draco growled with impatience at how little progress he'd made since leaving school. Even thinking about Ginny caused him pain, for whenever her face swam into his mind as it so often did, he realized that it could be months before he saw her again.

To keep himself occupied and his mind far from those dangerous and depressing thoughts, Draco worked fiercely on his Animagi training. It had been weeks since they'd started, and so far both Harry and Hermione had learned to transfigure themselves, albeit they still had trouble with it now and then.

Hermione had been the first to transform. Draco, Harry, Ron, and Ewan had all been in the kitchen eating lunch one afternoon when a dazzlingly white unicorn stepped timidly into the room, causing all four of the boys to spit out their food and reach for their wands. A moment later, Hermione stood before them, looking breathless but ecstatic.

Since that day, the boys strove harder than ever to find out their own Animagus form, all the while Hermione attempted to perfect her technique. Harry was the next to transform, this time while McGonagall was present during one of their training sessions. One second Harry was concentrating on clearing his mind, and the next, he had melted into a stallion blacker than midnight, causing Ron to clap and whistle while Draco gazed on in envious awe.

And so, wanting to show that he too could do as well as Harry and Hermione, Draco had been practicing with all his might, and yet he still couldn't quite manage to make the transformation. Once or twice he thought he saw the skin on his hand ripple as if it were composed of water, but every time that happened he was so fascinated that he lost his concentration and the spell broke, leaving Draco disappointed and exhausted.

One afternoon, though, all thoughts of Animagi flew from Draco's mind. He, along with Ron and Harry, were called to Dumbledore's small office at Number 12.

"Do you think he's finally decided to let us go?" Ron asked Harry excitedly.

"I don't know," Harry replied as they all walked down the hall. "Could be, but who knows."

"I, for one, will be glad to be rid of this place," said Draco. "No matter how many times your mum forces us to clean it, Weasley, it still never gets any cleaner."

Harry frowned at him. "This was Sirius's house. I don't care if it's dirty or not."

"He does have a point, Harry," said Ron, "as much as I hate to admit it. I can't even remember the last time I saw daylight."

When they finally were seated in front of Dumbledore's desk, excitement settled in Draco. Would this finally be it? Would he finally be able to do something productive in his life instead of wasting time in this dump?

"Well," began their old professor after a moment. "Well, well…"

"Well what?" Harry asked. "Are we allowed out of here yet?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, you are."

Ron whooped and Harry grinned. Even Draco allowed a tiny smile on his face. _Finally…_

"You will be leaving tomorrow morning to start your journey, and –"

"So soon?" interrupted Ron.

"Soon?" Harry echoed. "We've been cooped up here for three months. It's about bloody time!"

"That's the kind of enthusiasm I like to see, Harry," said Dumbledore. "But you must understand –all of you must understand– the peril this journey involves. It won't be easy, it won't be short, and it won't be safe. You'll most likely see and hear things you've only read about, some that you indeed have never heard of before. Here you are safe, but out there in the world, who knows," he said with a shrug. "There won't be any other Order members to protect you."

"What, you're not going to have us followed?" Draco asked with a grin. "You actually trust us out there?"

Dumbledore chuckled a bit under his breath. "You three have certainly shown these past few weeks that you can get along. Save for the few squabbles I've heard mention of, it seems as if you've put aside your differences and are willing to work together. If you can do that, then I have no need to put other Order members with you. We have so few as it is, and we'll need all the help we can get in the Ministry. No," he continued, "I have faith that you'll be able to handle yourselves."

"Where are we going to go?" Ron asked.

"Wherever you feel called to," Dumbledore answered. "I won't tell you where to go, not because I think I may give you bad advice, but simply because I don't want to know where you are. I don't want anybody but the three of you to know where you are. In fact, nobody is to know that you are leaving, not even your parents, Ron, and not even Hermione."

"But why can't we just tell her –"

"So that the information can't be taken from her," Draco said for Dumbledore. "Let's say that she or anybody else we tell is captured by Death Eaters. They can easily get that information from them. This way, there's no information to be got."

"Exactly," said Dumbledore. "You are not to breathe a word of where you are going to anybody; keep it between the three of you. I've prepared for you a bag that contains items you'll need for your trip: food, a tent, some books you may find useful, things like that." He pulled from behind his desk a backpack. "It's all shrunk in there. If there's anything here that you wish to take with you, you know the spell to make it fit in there." Dumbledore handed the backpack to Ron.

"Now," he continued, "the sooner you leave, the better, preferably a time while it is still dark out so that you can go unnoticed. Keep as far away from civilization as possible especially when you stop to rest at night; don't forget to cast your protective charms, either, so that nobody can trace you."

"Yes, sir," Harry replied. "What about the other horcrux that we haven't figured out yet?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I had wished that we'd discover it before you left, but we're running out of time. We'll simply have to trust that you figure it out on your way. My only bit of advice to you is to leave the snake alone for now. She'll be near Voldemort, and the farther you are from him, the better. Leave her until you've gotten the locket and the cup."

Draco nodded slowly, storing away all this information for later use; his heart beat loudly in his chest, adrenaline already flowing through him.

"Now, is that all?" Dumbledore asked himself. "Yes, I believe so. Do either of you have any questions? Now is the time to ask them."

Ron raised his hand slowly, looking almost scared to be doing so.

"Yes, Ronald?"

"Umm, well sir, the thing is…are we allowed to, you know…" his ears turned a few shades darker. He swallowed heavily. "Are we allowed to kill? Should the need arise, that is," he added hastily. "I mean if we're attacked by Death Eaters and there's no other way."

Dumbledore sighed heavily and remained silent for a time, his head bowed, but when he spoke, his voice was firm. "Taking the life of another, Ron, is something best saved as a last resort, a very last resort. I won't tell you one way or another in this matter, but just know that it takes a lot out of someone who kills. It is a power that everybody has, but only some have the ability to control it. Use that power sparingly, and with caution. The results of abusing it can be…unfortunate." For a moment, Dumbledore's eyes fell on Draco, and the young man felt his cheeks heat up, but he stared back at Dumbledore resolutely.

"Yes, well," Dumbledore said as he stood up. "Are you three quite sure you are ready for this?"

"Yes sir," all three replied.

"Very well then." Dumbledore reached his hand out to Draco, who shook it. Then Dumbledore shook Ron's hand, and finally Harry's; he looked long and hard into Harry's eyes before he let go. "Good luck be with you all," he said quietly before walking out of his office, leaving three young men in contemplative silence, neither knowing whether they would see their Headmaster again.

It was a long time before someone finally said something.

"Well," Harry began, "maybe we should uh, get some clothes and put them in there." He nodded to the bag that Ron still held. "Make sure to get some warm ones too for when it gets colder. Yeah…" he finished, his voice hesitant now that Dumbledore, their leader and advisor, had gone. After a moment more of silence, Harry left the room, leaving Ron and Draco to themselves. The two looked at each other for a few seconds before they too left the room, each traveling a different direction down the hallway.

Draco had a hunch that each of them was feeling similar to himself at the moment, each shocked by the abruptness of everything, each wanting some time on his own to sort out his thoughts.

The main thought in Draco's mind right now was simply the thrill of finally getting to do what he'd dreamt of doing since defying his father all those months ago – fight Voldemort and make a new life for himself. With Voldemort, and hopefully in time all of Voldemort's followers, out of the picture, Draco would be free without having to worry for himself or those he cared about. Namely, Ginny.

_Ginny,_ he thought, his heart constricting painfully in his chest. What if he never saw her again? There was a large chance that he could die on this mission, or whatever he wanted to call it. What if he never got to tell her how he cared about her, how he…loved her.

Draco sighed and stopped along the empty hallway, resting his back against the wall. Did he really, truly love Ginny? The thought had come to him some time ago, but he had never thought it possible that he could love anybody, save except his mother. For that reason, he had put the thought aside, told himself that he simply missed being around her, missed seeing her smile, missed knowing that it was _he_ that made her smile.

But wasn't that what love was, anyway? Missing someone so much that it hurt inside, wanting to do everything possible to protect them? That was certainly true for Draco. Many times he'd lain awake at night unable to sleep because he couldn't get Ginny out of his mind. His fingers would tingle as he remembered the feel of her hair as he tucked it behind her ear, the curve of her back as he held her close to him, the softness of her skin as his thumb brushed over her cheek. He never tired of those sensations and he longed to do them again for the rest of his life. She didn't just belong to Draco; he belonged to her, and he knew that now that he was faced with the thought of never again being able to simply gaze into her eyes.

Draco really did love Ginny. The realization of it brought a smile to his lips, and his heart again started that strange tap dance that only thoughts of Ginny could produce.

The thought of dying without her knowing this, however, caused his smile to disappear. She was what mattered most to him in this world. He wouldn't leave it without having her know that he had changed, that he was not his father. He thought he had proved to both himself and to Ginny that he was nothing like Lucius, but this would make it absolute. Lucius had never truly cared for anybody but himself. Draco had learned by now that he could rely on others, that he could trust them and be happy with them, not just with himself. He wanted Ginny to know this, wanted her to know that he did love her and that he would do everything possible to make this life better for her.

But how was he supposed to tell her this? He would be leaving early the next morning, and then there'd be no opportunity. He couldn't sneak out very easily either, and somebody was bound to notice him if he went to Hogwarts to see her.

Draco frowned. There had to be some way that he could reach her, someone who could help them.

_Hermione!_ his mind cried out. She was the one and only person who could help; neither Dumbledore nor McGonagall would approve of his sneaking out. And right now, Draco didn't mind in the least that he had once despised this girl. He didn't even care that she knew about he and Ginny. Right now he was rather glad of it, actually.

His spirit on the rise, his mind comforted by the hope springing to life inside him, Draco sprinted down the hallway to the room he had seen Hermione and Ewan sitting in before he went to see Dumbledore.

Sure enough, the two of them were still sitting on a couch reading together, their backs to Draco, who hesitated before going into the room. Ewan would surely wonder what Draco wanted with Hermione…

Cursing under his breath, Draco dug in his pocket and found a tiny, crinkled up corner of parchment that he'd been meaning to throw away. He then, careful of his aim, levitated the scrunched up ball across the room and let it drop on Hermione's shoulder, where it then bounced to the ground behind the couch.

Hermione turned her head to where Draco stood in the doorway, motioning with his hand for her to come out. She frowned in confusion, but she excused herself from Ewan, saying that she would be right back.

Out in the hallway, Draco took Hermione's hand and dragged her down to a storage closet where he then locked them inside.

"What's going on?" she asked a bit warily. "And why did you lock the door?"

"Oh relax, I just don't want anybody to accidentally come upon us. Now listen, I need your help."

Hermione's eyebrows rose as she folded her arms across her chest. "My help? With what?"

"With Ginny," Draco replied.

"Ginny? What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing. I want to see her. I need to talk to her."

Hermione immediately shook her head. "I can't help you. I know what Dumbledore's rule was. You're not allowed to send owls out of here. And," she laughed, "you can't possibly think of sneaking out. That'd be mad!"

When Draco didn't deny her accusations but simply stared at her earnestly, the laughter died away and she looked at him in shock. "You are mad!" she exclaimed. "There's no way I'm helping to sneak you out of here when you know very well that if you're caught you could –"

"I love her," Draco cut in, his voice catching. Hermione's mouth quickly snapped shut, her eyes widening to an enormous size, and Draco squeezed his eyes shut and looked away, but his earlier thoughts returned to him. "I really do," he added sincerely, looking back at her. "I didn't really know it until a few minutes ago, but I love her. I need to tell her so before…" He cursed himself for almost mentioning their trip.

"Before what?" Hermione asked cautiously, her own amazement now blending with concern. "Before what, Draco?"

It was one of the few times she'd called him by his name, and Draco sighed. Maybe she'd be more willing to help if she thought this was Draco's only chance. "Promise not to breathe a word of this to anybody, even to Ewan?" he asked. Hermione nodded readily. "We're leaving tomorrow," he said. "Potter and Weasley and I."

"But what do you mean you're leaving?" Hermione cried. "How come nobody told me? When did you find out? And where are you going. For goodness sakes, at least tell me where –"

"No," Draco said. "I'm not saying anything more. Neither of us are supposed to be telling anybody this. Just know that we're leaving tomorrow morning. This may be the one and only chance I have to tell her. I don't know what's going to happen, and if I die with her thinking I don't…" He looked away, sighing. He'd already let his emotions show far more than he'd intended. If Hermione couldn't already see how he was feeling, then she wouldn't help anyway.

She was silent for quite a while, no doubt processing all the information Draco had told her. She chewed on her bottom lip fiercely, her eyes serious. Draco held his breath as he watched her, searching for some sign that she would agree. If she didn't, then he'd just have to find a way on his own. But right now, he really did wish for her help.

Finally Hermione looked up at Draco and sighed. "I might have an idea."

* * *

"Hey, Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed as she spotted her friend sitting in a booth in the Three Broomsticks.

Hermione smiled and stood up to give Ginny a hug. "Hey, Ginny."

"It sure is good to see a familiar face," Ginny said, returning Hermione's hug. They both then sat down in the booth and leaned across the table to hear each other better; the Three Broomsticks was crowded today. "I tell you, it's extremely weird to be at Hogwarts and not have all of you around."

"I can imagine," Hermione said.

"I got your owl. It was kind of last minute though, wasn't it?"

"I know, and I'm sorry," said Hermione. "You didn't blow off any homework or anything to come here, did you?"

"No," said Ginny. In truth, she should be working on a Charms paper, but she wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to see her friend.

"Good," Hermione said with a sigh. She smiled. "I just didn't have any work to do at the Ministry today and there's not much to do at Grimmauld Place, so I thought to myself, 'I haven't seen Ginny in a while. I ought to see if she wants to meet up this evening.' So I sent you an owl and here we are."

"I'm glad, too," Ginny said. "I haven't been able to talk to any of you in forever and I've been dying to know how things are going back there. How's Dr – well, how's everybody doing?" Ginny blushed. No need for Hermione to think she'd been obsessing over Draco.

Hermione snorted. "Ginny, trust me when I say I know that look in your eyes. You just want to know about Malf – err, about Draco."

"Draco, is he now?" Ginny asked with a smile. "Since when did you start calling him that?"

"Oh, probably around the time he and Harry called a truce."

"They did what?" Ginny's eyes widened. Draco and Harry had stopped fighting? Well, that was news.

"Yeah, just a few weeks ago. It might've had something to do with me trapping them in his room and shouting at them for a good five minutes, but hey, they had it coming to them," Hermione finished with an uncharacteristic smirk of satisfaction. Ginny shook her head in wonder. "Since then, they and Ron have gotten a little tense at times, but they haven't fought anymore."

"That's…wow," said Ginny. "I never thought they'd actually do it. I thought they'd be stuck in there forever.

Hermione laughed. "So did I."

Ginny paused for a moment, and then said, "So, does that mean they're allowed out now?"

Hermione's smile faded away and she looked as if she'd just swallowed something unsavory. "Well, technically they can leave, I guess…" she looked away uncomfortably. "Oh bugger."

"What is it, Hermione?" Ginny demanded. "What do you know? You know something, don't you." Hermione still didn't meet Ginny's eyes.

Finally she sighed and said, "I wasn't supposed to say anything about this but…"

"But what?"

"Well, the boys, I guess, are leaving sometime tomorrow morning."

"Leaving?" Ginny asked hoarsely. "Leaving as in…"

"They're going to start their search." Hermione looked about them, but nobody paid them any attention. "For the you-know-whats," she whispered.

Ginny knew. She'd heard them talking about the horcruxes when she had stayed at Grimmauld Place. Part of her had hoped that somehow, the boys wouldn't be allowed to look for them, though. It was dangerous, and now she wouldn't even get to say goodbye.

The girls fell into silence, and Ginny had a feeling that Hermione felt similarly right now; she'd been side by side with Harry and Ron for seven years and now she had to be left behind. Ginny stared at the table in front of her forlornly. Her brother, one of her good friends, and the boy she cared the most about these days would be leaving soon, and who knew if she'd see them again.

"Well," Hermione said a little too brightly, the pain in her eyes still obvious, "they'll be fine. I saw Dumbledore at Grimmauld earlier today and I'm sure he's talked to them. They'll be fine." Ginny knew Hermione was trying to convince herself as well as Ginny.

"Yeah, I suppose," Ginny said, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. "After all, they are brilliant at magic. They'll be okay."

After another moment of silence, Hermione stood up. "Well come on, we should probably get out of here before Madame Rosmerta gets upset; we haven't bought anything. Besides, there's something else I want to show you."

"Alright," said Ginny, and she followed her friend out of the Three Broomsticks and into the streets of Hogsmeade. Ginny breathed deeply, loving the smell of all the shops. October had just begun, and already the warm air was fading away. Soon she would need to dress more warmly. But for now, with all the people walking the streets and walkways, the town was fairly warm.

"What is it you want to show me," Ginny asked.

"Oh, we have a little ways to go yet," answered Hermione. "It's up this way."

Hermione started up a side street that passed many different stores. Ginny didn't go this way too often for it led away from the main street in Hogsmeade, and there weren't many places she liked to go there anyway, and so she really had no idea what Hermione wanted to show her.

Ginny glanced up as they walked. The days were getting shorter, for the sun was low in the sky. Already a few street lamps had started to magically ignite. Soon it would be dusk.

After a while, the shops on either side of the street disappeared and they were simply left with an empty street that continued into the distance. That eventually disappeared too until both girls were traveling along a dirt path lined by the woods surrounding the town. By now, Ginny was thoroughly confused.

"Where are we going?" she asked after nearly fifteen minutes. "There's nothing up here, Hermione."

"You'll see," Hermione said, panting slightly as they started up a steep incline. "It's just on top of this hill."

Ginny shook her head, still not knowing what could be up there, but she climbed up the hill anyway, slipping once on a loose rock.

When they reached the top, Ginny sucked in her breath at the view. She could see Hogwarts from here, but she'd never seen it from this angle before. They were somewhere past the far side of the lake, and from this high up and from this far away, the castle looked breathtaking as the sun descended behind it.

"Pretty, isn't it," Hermione said with a smile.

"It is," Ginny replied. "I've never been up here before."

"I only discovered this place last year," Hermione said, and Ginny looked around. There wasn't much room on the top of the hill, where tiny bits of grass grew despite the abundance of dirt. On the other side of the hill, towards the castle, was a sheer drop, but to one side, Ginny noticed as she turned around, the hill continued going up, so steep it was almost vertical.

"It's peaceful," Ginny said quietly, turning back to the castle. She could get used to being up here.

Hermione nodded, and then turned to Ginny. "Well, I had better be going. It's almost dinner time, you know," she said with a smile. Ginny's head whipped towards Hermione and she furrowed her brow.

"But Hermione –"

"See you later, Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, and before Ginny could protest, the older girl had apparated, leaving Ginny thoroughly confused.

A moment later, Ginny heard a rustling behind her and she whirled around, reaching for her wand. What she saw, however, caused her to drop her wand in amazement, for Draco was pulling off of him an invisibility cloak, grinning from ear to ear.

"Draco!" she cried, and before he could utter a word, she had thrown her arms around him and was hugging him fiercely. Mumbling something she couldn't understand, Draco pulled her closer to him, his hand fisted in her hair.

For a moment, the two just stood there holding on to each other, but then Draco pulled back slightly and planted a firm kiss on her lips. Before Ginny could savor the feel of him, however, Draco stepped back and smiled at her, leaving Ginny dazed and breathless by the rapidity of this whole experience.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Hermione just told me that you were leaving tomorrow. I didn't think I'd get to see you again, and then you just materialize out of – is that Harry's invisibility cloak?" she asked with a frown.

"It is," Draco said; he was still grinning broadly. "Hermione nicked it from him."

"She did what?"

"She borrowed it, sort of. Said I could use it for the afternoon."

"Wait so Hermione knows you're here? Isn't that against the rules, though?"

Draco laughed. "What's with all the questions? I thought you'd be happy to see me," he said, his eyes sparkling in a way Ginny hadn't seen them before.

"I am," she said with a laugh. "Believe me, I am. I'm just so surprised by it all."

"Well I wanted to see you," Draco said. "You wouldn't believe how boring it is in that place."

"I hear that you and Harry and Ron aren't fighting anymore."

"Weird, isn't it," he snorted. "We're not friends though," he added hastily. "Never that."

Ginny laughed again. It was strange how easily this man could make her laugh, how easy it was for him to lift her spirits. "Hermione also said that you guys were leaving tomorrow to look for the horcruxes."

"She told you that, did she?" Draco rolled his eyes. "I knew she couldn't keep a secret."

"Why is it a secret though? Shouldn't everybody in the Order know at least?"

"No," said Draco. "Then someone might let something slip about it. It's better this way, trust me."

"I guess," Ginny said, looking Draco over. He didn't look much different from when she'd last seen him, though his hair seemed a bit long. "How did you get out here anyway? Was this all Hermione's idea?"

"I asked for her help in getting me out. But the invisibility cloak, meeting up here, all that was her plan. Not too bad, if you ask me," he added mischievously. "Here we are, all alone, nobody else in sight…" he moved closer to her.

Ginny laughed and placed a hand on his chest, halting him. "Oh relax. There's plenty of time." Draco stopped, his bottom lip protruding in a pout, but his eyes still glinted in pleasure. "I'm surprised you asked Hermione. I mean, you got out of Grimmauld once before, didn't you?"

Draco's eyes crinkled in confusion. "I don't recall ever sneaking out of there before now."

Ginny remembered earlier that summer when Harry and Ron had told her that they'd seen Draco, disguised slightly, leaving Grimmauld Place. She had been intensely curious about where he'd gone since Dumbledore had told him it wasn't safe to leave headquarters, but she hadn't asked him about that trip and he had never offered information.

Now, however, Ginny found herself wondering. Where _had_ he gone? Was he hiding anything? What had he done that day that he hadn't wanted to tell her?

"Earlier this summer when I was staying at Grimmauld Place, Harry and Ron told me they'd seen you sneaking out of headquarters, said something about your hair being a different color, that sort of thing." Ginny watched Draco's face closely, saw his smile fade away, the sparkle in his eyes dull a bit.

"They must've been hallucinating. Either that or they were just trying to stir up trouble and were lying," Draco said, his tone flat.

Ginny frowned. Draco had a point about Harry and Ron trying to cause trouble for him, but if he was telling the truth about not sneaking out, then why was he suddenly closing up? "You're not lying to me, are you?" she asked quietly, hating that she was asking such a question when she was so happy to see him.

Draco's nose wrinkled and he looked away. "No," he scoffed. "Why would I?"

"Well you just seemed to completely change attitude when I asked you about it, so it made me wonder is all…" She shrugged her shoulders.

"Well maybe that's because it's none of your business," Draco snapped, and Ginny took a step backwards in surprise. Draco's face had hardened considerably and his eyes flashed; she knew the signs of his anger. But what surprised her most was that he was angry at her. She hadn't seen him like this in months, not since they were at school. Ginny frowned, her own anger rising. She hadn't done anything wrong; all she'd done was ask a simple question.

"Sure, alright," she said, stepping back towards him, "maybe it's not my business, but you, Draco Malfoy, are," she stated angrily, "and I'm not going to tolerate any crap from you just because you decided to suddenly become secretive."

"I am not being secretive," he shot back, folding his arms across his chest.

Ginny snorted. "No, of course you're not." She stared pointedly at him, and he glanced away again, not meeting her eyes. "Look," she began more gently, "why can't you tell me? I thought we were in this together."

After a moment, Draco's gaze fell back on her and she saw pain there. "We are," he said. "I just can't…tell you. Not about that."

"But why?" Ginny stepped closer and placed her hand on his arm. "You can tell me anything, Draco. I'm not going to judge you. I care about you."

Draco sighed and looked at the ground. "I…" Ginny waited patiently, silently urging him to go on. He sighed again, shifting weight from one foot to another. He glanced up at Ginny's face as if to see how sincere she was in saying that she cared about him. "I…Merlin this isn't how I wanted this to go…alright you say you care about me? We'll see." He took a deep breath. "I was going to visit the graves of Aidan Grant and his family."

"Of who?" Ginny asked in confusion. Whatever she had expected Draco to say, it wasn't that. "Who are they?"

Draco swallowed so loudly that Ginny heard him, and he opened his mouth hesitatingly. "They're – they were a muggle family. And they were killed last year at –"

"At Christmas," Ginny cut in, suddenly remembering the Prophet article she had read on the train back to Hogwarts last Christmas vacation. "Death Eaters did that though. So why would you be –"

"No, Ginny," Draco said as if correcting a child, his face reflecting the defeat he felt inside. "Death Eaters didn't do that. I did."

Ginny blinked a few times, trying to understand what Draco just said. _He_ killed the Grant family? No, it wasn't possible. Surely it wasn't. Draco may have a nasty temper, but he would never go far enough to kill innocent people. That was something that a Death Eater did, and Draco despised Death Eaters and those who followed Voldemort more than anything.

But then Ginny remembered when she had returned from Christmas break last year. Draco had been sullen, withdrawn, depressed, even. He had seemed more moody than usual, he had ignored her. _I had a bad holiday, _isn't that what he had said when she'd confronted him? But surely Draco wouldn't have killed them. It wasn't possible…was it?

Ginny backed away from Draco slowly, her eyes widening not with fear, but with sorrow. "No," she whispered. "You couldn't have."

"I did," Draco repeated, his own eyes laced with tears. He angrily brushed them aside and continued. "I didn't mean to. I didn't want to. But I did. When I went home for that Christmas break, Voldemort came over to my house. He and my father took me to that muggle home and killed the family, all but the boy. He was supposed to be for me," he said, shaking his head slightly. "I was supposed to kill him, Aidan Grant. It was to be my test, I suppose, to see if I had what it took to become a Death Eater."

Ginny listened in horror as Draco confessed to what he had done. It didn't seem possible, this didn't seem real. It had to all be a bad dream, some nightmare. Perhaps she'd worked too hard the night before and this was her comeuppance.

"It was raining that night," Draco continued. His eyes were staring at her so fiercely that Ginny could practically feel the pain in them. "I chased him outside and he fell in the mud. I was the last thing he saw before he died. Because I killed him." Draco's voice shook a bit, but he continued to stare at Ginny.

"What do you mean –"

"So there," he interrupted, his voice so loud he was almost shouting. "Are you happy now? You wanted to know what I was doing? Now you know."

"How could you kill them, Draco?" Ginny exclaimed. She remembered reading that news article – one of the victims had been a baby. Her stomach churned, she felt sick. How could Draco do this? "How could you!" she shouted angrily. "Why would you kill them?"

"I don't know!" Draco yelled. He turned, running his hands through his hair. Then he whirled around. "I don't know. If I didn't kill him, he would've killed me."

"That's no excuse, though," Ginny persisted. "They didn't deserve that, Draco. For Merlin's sake, they didn't even know who you were! I thought I did!"

"You do."

"I don't think I do," Ginny said, tears filling her eyes. "I thought you were the boy I befriended back at school, the one who hated Voldemort and everything about him. And now I find out that you've been hiding this from me the whole time. You lied to me, Draco."

"Well what did you expect, a bloody prince charming?" he asked bitterly, the pain on his face clear to Ginny, and for some reason that pain both grieved and pleased her.

Her arms folded tightly across her chest, she stared harshly at him, as angry with herself as she was with him. "I never expected that," she spat. "I _never_ did. But I never took you for a murderer either. I never thought you'd be your father."

Draco's eyes narrowed in fury and before Ginny could react, before Draco could think twice, he swung his hand back and struck Ginny across the face.

Her cheek stinging, Ginny stumbled backwards a few feet before she finally fell to the ground, all the while staring in shock at Draco. She raised her hand and gingerly touched the area he had hit, and already it felt hot from the contact.

Draco blinked a few times as he gazed down at Ginny, and for a moment she saw regret, but then the anger returned, as it so often does, and Draco started to turn away. He snatched up the invisibility cloak and paused for a moment, his back to her. Finally he turned his anguished gaze upon her and Ginny thought he was going to say something, but then he disappeared with a pop, leaving Ginny sitting in the dirt, feeling more miserable than she ever had in her life.

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**A/N:** My apologies once again for the major delay in this chapter's posting. The only real note I have is about the bag that the three guys are taking on their trip. I know it's very similar to Hermione's magic little bag in DH, but if you think about it, shrinking all the stuff you need and taking it in some sort of bag is really the only way a wizard would travel, so I hope I didn't copy too much there. I didn't have many other options for them taking all their stuff. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, I hope you review, and I hope to update soon.

Lauren


	14. Live and Learn

I apologize for such a short chapter.

Disclaimer: If I owned the story, I'd be filthy rich and I'd find a way to sue everybody who wrote fanfiction about my story. Well, maybe not. That'd be pretty mean.

**Chapter 14: Live and Learn**

"Do you know where we're going, Harry?" Ron asked wearily. He plopped down next to the trunk of a tree that seemed to have been around for years and pulled out a bottle of water from the backpack they shared. "We've been going for days and we still haven't found it yet."

"I know it's around here somewhere." Harry studied the map in his hands intensely.

"But _where_? There's nothing but trees, dirt, and bugs in this place." He flicked a beetle off his pants and looked up at Harry as if to say, See? "I mean, maybe we got to the wrong spot."

Harry sighed in frustration and stared sullenly at the map that Dumbledore had put in their bag.

Meanwhile, Draco found a boulder a short way from the other two boys and sat down upon it. A raindrop fell onto his cheek and he looked up at the clouds looming ominously overhead. It would rain soon, but the gloomy atmosphere around him hardly did justice to the stormy weather already inside Draco.

Ever since he'd left Ginny sitting in the dirt in Hogsmeade, he'd been able to think of little else but her and the mess he'd put them both in. Had it only been two weeks ago that he'd hit her? It felt so much longer.

Draco furrowed his brows at the ground. Why had he hit her? Why in the world had he actually hit Ginny? The thought made his throat close up, as if it could close off the memory of what he'd done, and yet nothing could make him forget the sound of his hand striking her cheek, the cheek that he loved to run his hand across as he gazed at her, and he had marred it.

Anger boiled inside Draco as it had done several times lately. He admitted that he'd been furious at her for calling him a murderer. He was angry that she hadn't understood his situation with Aidan Grant and that she hadn't known how horrible he felt. If there was one person he had hoped would understand, it was Ginny, but she had yelled at him, accused him. Of course he had been angry.

But he never meant to hit her. The second he'd done it and seen the surprise and hurt on her face, he'd regretted it. He'd wanted to apologize and take her in his arms. He'd wanted to tell her that he really did love her, which was the whole reason he'd gone to meet her in the first place, but he just couldn't do it. He had still been angry at her and even angrier at himself. The whole situation embarrassed him, and he had never wished more for a time-turner than he had these past two weeks.

Draco sighed again as another raindrop fell on top of his head. What was Ginny doing right now? What was she thinking? His heart lurched uncomfortably once more when he realized that he might have lost her forever. After what he did, she probably never wanted to see him again. _Idiot,_ Draco thought, not for the first time. _You are the biggest blundering idiot to walk the face of the earth. You had a girl like her all to yourself and look what you've done now. _

He forced himself to get up off the rock, though his movements were slow, exhaustedly slow. Everything had seemed this way since he had started this journey. For two long weeks they'd been traveling, searching for the horcruxes. And while Draco searched earnestly, trying to distract himself from thoughts of Ginny, the image of her face as he hit her kept swimming before his eyes, causing his steps to slow and his spirit to fall.

"Oi, come over here and help, will you, Malfoy?" Ron asked as he pulled out a shrunken canvas tent from their bag. As he did, the tent magically grew to its intended size.

"Yeah," said Draco, and he walked over to the tent and with a few waves of his wand, had it erected before them. "So that's it for the night? No more walking?"

"It's getting dark," Harry said. "We'll keep looking in the morning. It has to be around here somewhere, because this map doesn't lie." Despite his proclamation, Harry glanced ruefully at the map he'd left lying on the ground. The map really was an extraordinary item, for all you had to do to find any place was to put the tip of your wand on the map, say the name of the place you wanted to find, and that destination plus its surroundings would appear on the map.

During the past two weeks of their search, they'd decided to start retracing Voldemort's life, or any significant places in it, to see where the horcruxes might be. They'd started out with Marvolo Gaunt's old house, even though they'd already been there; they didn't want to take any chances and overlook something. After a day of digging through the rubble and searching every bush, tree, and rock within a hundred yards of the house, they moved on.

Now they were headed to the former home of Voldemort's other parent, Tom Riddle. Supposedly, the house lay only a few miles down the road from the Gaunt house, and yet despite days of searching, they could not seem to find it. Though the map showed the house to be just up the hill from where they now set up camp, there was nothing near them but fields and forests.

"Maybe we should just give this place up," Draco said. "Go look some place else. It obviously isn't here."

"We don't know that yet," Harry said.

"We've been searching for days, walking the same paths over and over and still nothing," Draco insisted. "There's nothing here."

"Maybe Malfoy's right." Ron closed the pack and threw it into the tent. "Maybe we should just go look somewhere else, Harry."

Harry picked up the map with a sigh and walked into the tent, leaving Draco and Ron alone outside. Tired, irritated, and in no mood to continue arguing, Draco sat down against a tree and closed his eyes. Harry and Ron could just hash it out between themselves as far as he was concerned. Right now all Draco wanted was some food, some sleep, and some relief from the image running constantly through his head, the image of a girl with flaming red hair, the image of the girl he'd chased away…

* * *

Between the excitement of the upcoming Halloween feast, the start of Quidditch matches, and the arrival of the Apparition instructor, few people noticed Ginny's lack of enthusiasm. Since her and Draco's confrontation in Hogsmeade, she had found herself battling her emotions in an attempt to keep them hidden; she reckoned she'd done a good job so far since the only person to comment on her quietness was Colin Creevey during one of their recent Quidditch practices.

However, when Ginny was safely alone in her dormitory, it became difficult for her eyes not to water and her hand not to absently wander up to her cheek in remembrance of what Draco had done. Ginny didn't want to cry. She didn't want to feel so sad or emotional and she certainly didn't want to feel this stupid. _How could I have believed that he might love me, _she thought miserably, sitting in the middle of her bed. _You don't hit somebody you love. I must have just been some…some source of amusement for him._

Despite wanting to feel angry about this, Ginny couldn't muster the willpower for that either. All she felt was a profound sadness, not only for herself but for Draco. He had killed a person, a little boy, and even he must feel the shame for that. Even though Ginny ought to despise Draco, for what he had done to that boy was despicable, she couldn't. She was clinging to some small shard of hope that there had been more to Draco's story. She realized now that she had perhaps overreacted in Hogsmeade, but at the time she had been so shocked at Draco's confession that she couldn't hold back her thoughts. Ginny had hurt him, she knew that. Calling him his father had perhaps been one of the worst insults she could give him, considering how much Draco detested his father; but right then, she'd wanted to hurt him; that was one thing that scared Ginny the most.

As the door to her dormitory opened and the cheerful voices of her dorm-mates filled the room, Ginny silently groaned. Why did everybody have to be so happy right now? It only made her feel more miserable.

"Ginny? You in there?" her dorm-mate Katherine called out. Glad that she'd already pulled the curtains shut around her bed, Ginny remained silent. With any luck, they'd think she'd taken a nap and leave her alone. "Ginny? Well, we just wanted to let you know that Colin's looking for you. Said something about the game this weekend and he wanted to know if you were in here."

Ginny gave a little sigh. She did still have responsibilities even if all she wanted to do right now was become a hermit. So, forcing a shaky but passable smile onto her face, she pulled the curtains apart and stood up.

"Colin's looking for me, eh?"

"Yeah," replied Katherine. "Sorry if I woke you, were you asleep?"

"Something like that." Ginny grabbed her wand and stuffed it into her robe pocket. "Colin downstairs?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for the message," Ginny said as she walked out of the dormitory and into the common room, which was as loud and boisterous as ever especially since here, everybody's excitement was unrestrained, unlike in the hallways and classrooms.

"Gin! Over here!" Colin waved from near a window in the corner of the room, and Ginny worked her away around the mass of people until she reached him.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked. "Got a question about the game on Saturday?" Gryffindor was scheduled to play Ravenclaw, who had just lost to Slytherin the previous week, giving the Gryffindor house hope for their first victory of the year.

"Yeah, I got a question," Colin said, flashing a grin. "Come down to the pitch with me?"

Walking all the way down to the pitch and working on Quidditch did not appeal to Ginny at all, but Colin was her friend and she was lacking a good excuse, so she said yes and followed him out of the common room. Once they were walking down the hallway, Colin turned to her and asked, "So, you've been kind of quiet lately. How are you doing?" Again, he grinned at her, but this time it seemed more unsure.

"Oh, not too bad," Ginny said, looking curiously at Colin. Was he nervous?

"Good, that's good. Not too bad is…well that's good." He laughed nervously and looked away.

Oh yes, Colin was nervous, Ginny could see that clearly, though what he had to be nervous about was beyond her. It must be the game on Saturday, she supposed. It was natural to feel anxious before a game, especially the first of the year.

"So what did you have a question about?" she asked. "Worried about Saturday, are we?"

Colin laughed squeakily. "Oh, not too much. Just have a question about…about one of the drills we were running the other night. Wondered if you could show it again."

Ginny shrugged her agreement and the rest of the walk down to the pitch passed in silence. As they exited the castle, she saw Derrick Sloan and Martin Darryson sitting on the steps. Their narrowed eyes followed her, but she looked straight ahead and tried not to think about them. However, she and Colin were in their sight for quite some time until they reached the pitch, and she had to resist the urge to run in order to escape the feeling of their eyes boring into her back.

She and Colin worked on some Quidditch drills for a half hour before they quit. By the time they were done, Ginny was tired, sweaty, but slightly less depressed than before. Flying had a way with her; she could be upset in all possible ways but when she flew for a while, she could leave all her problems behind, at least until she came back down to earth, literally. Then the events of two weeks past returned to her.

"Thanks, Ginny," Colin said, breathing heavily. "I think I got that down now. Ravenclaw doesn't stand a chance."

"No problem," she replied, rubbing the back of her neck. "Practice makes for perfection, I guess." Colin grinned at her again as he shut their practice balls back inside the Quidditch trunk. "Was that all you needed?"

"Yeah…well, sort of. I mean, yeah it was – but I was also wondering…" Colin looked at her, all traces of a smile gone, nervousness now taking precedence on his face. "Well," he said quietly, "what I was wondering was if you wanted to go Hogsmeade with me, maybe on Sunday or something…" he trailed off, his cheeks flushing crimson. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but I mean, I just thought I'd ask because you know, we've known each other for a long time now and we've always been friends but I thought that maybe…well that maybe you might…want…to be…more…" Now he stared intently at the ground.

Once more the urge to run away as fast as she could came to Ginny, but she was rooted to the ground in shock. Never in her life had she thought that Colin, sweet, shy Colin, would ask her out on a date. She was reminded of the previous year when Seamus Finnigan had asked her something similar; she had been blindsided that time, too. Who knew how much courage it must have taken for Colin to ask her, and Ginny dreaded seeing the look on his face when she said no.

"Colin –"

"No, it's okay," Colin mumbled, still staring at the ground. "I knew you'd say no, but I just thought I'd ask anyway." He turned around and started to leave the pitch.

"Colin wait!" she called after him, and he stopped, but did not turn to face her. Ginny sighed. Perhaps it was better if she didn't have to look at him when she said this, better for both of them. "It's not that I don't like you, Colin, I really do," she began gently. "But I think we're better as friends, yeah? I've just got a lot going on with me right now…it – it wouldn't be right to get into a relationship. Wouldn't be fair to you. You know? Colin?" The entire time the young man had remained silent, and Ginny's heart beat erratically in her chest. She hated to hurt her friend this way, but not matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop longing for Draco. She held her breath and hoped that Colin would say something, anything, otherwise she was like to burst any second from the strained silence.

After a moment, Colin gave a jerk of his head and walked off the pitch as fast as he could without breaking into a run. Ginny watched him go, and try as she might, she couldn't will away the tears that sprang to her eyes as the weight of everything that had happened in recent days descended upon her.

Not wanting to return to the castle so soon and risk facing Colin, she ran off the pitch and towards the back of Hagrid's hut. Why she was crying, Ginny couldn't figure out. She hated it though. Feeling sad on the inside was one thing but letting it show this way? Weak, Draco would say. That thought only caused Ginny's heart to wrench even further.

She stumbled towards the end of the turtle dragon cages and sat down next to Henry's cage, leaning her back against the hut's wall. Sitting here, she was safe. Nobody from the castle could see her and unless someone came around back, she could be alone.

_Why is there so much drama in my life lately,_ she wondered, tears still leaking from her eyes. _I sound like one of those bloody stories the gossip magazines always talk about. The guy I thought I liked hurt me, one of my friend's just asked me out, two creeps won't stop following me, and I'm crying all over the place. _

She closed her eyes as she started laughing at the absurdity of everything, all the while still crying. Since when did her life become so complicated? She longed for the good old days when all she had to worry about was homework and her crush on Harry.

In the cage next to her, Henry gave a little snort, and a wispy puff of smoke swirled out of his nostrils.

"Life was so simple back then, huh Henry," Ginny said softly, poking her fingers through the cage. Henry, almost a month old now, hadn't grown much, but his skin had toughened and he had rounded out a bit more. He waddled to the bars on the cage and stared up at Ginny.

"Well, it's not anymore," she continued with a sigh. "Nothing seems to be going right. Especially with Draco. I can't figure it out. I thought he liked me, I thought he…cared about me, loved me maybe. But then if he did, why would he hit me? It just doesn't make sense. I mean I know he has an awful temper, but…"

Henry's tongue flicked out against Ginny's finger, and she smiled slightly. "Well, what does a cute little guy like you know about these sorts of things," she said, patting the top of his head; there wasn't use actually petting a turtle dragon. "Pretty soon you'll be big enough to go for a walk. I bet you'll like that."

Still mulling things over with Henry, Ginny heard something crashing through the forest. She pulled out her wand, getting to her feet with caution. Maybe it was just Hagrid, or maybe it was something darker; these days, one couldn't be too careful, especially with the creatures that dwelled in the Forbidden Forest.

Ginny's fears vanished when a few moments later, as the crashing grew ever louder, she saw Professor Snape stumble out of the forest, wild-eyed and frenzied. She gaped, for she had never seen Snape so disheveled. His hair was out of his place, his robe torn and hanging askew, and twigs and leaves clung to him as if the forest were reluctant to let the man escape.

Snape stopped for a moment and turned wildly about, and Ginny saw a long, deep cut extending from his ear to the base of his neck; it was still bleeding. To be so out of breath, Snape must have run hard and fast through the woods, but that cut was not the result of a tree branch, Ginny could tell that much. What had made it, though, remained uncertain.

His eyes still wide and agitated, Snape made a dash for the castle. He slowed to a walk halfway across the grounds and pulled out his wand. She could see him performing various spells, and even from a distance Ginny could see his clothes and hair straighten, the foliage from the trees falling away. She wondered what could have possibly happened to make Snape so crazed. Never before had she seen him lose his control, and she glanced warily at the forest, wondering what new evil lay inside. Not wanting to stay near the place any longer, she hurried back to the castle.

* * *

_He appeared instantly in the main hallway of Grimmauld Place and stormed towards the stairs, the invisibility cloak clenched in his hand. His face was a barely controlled mask of rage, and with all his might, he threw the cloak against the wall. It had been a stupid idea, anyway, going there. Brought him nothing but trouble. He didn't care if Potter saw the cloak and wondered how it got there. As far as he was concerned, they could all just go to hell._

"_Malfoy?" Hermione poked her head out of a room. "Do you want to wake everybody up? What happened?"_

"_None of your damn business," he hissed furiously, watching her eyes widen in shock. She said not another word, but as Draco pounded up the stairs, he could feel her eyes on his back._

_Once in his room, Draco locked the door and placed silencing spells around the room, all the while breathing heavily, his eyes blazing. When the spells were in place, he hurled his wand against the bed and let out a deep, feral scream and dropped to his knees, his head falling into his hands. He didn't stop screaming until his head pounded, his ears rang, not until his throat felt raw from the force of the harsh cry leaving him. Even when he did stop, the echo of it remained in his ears._

_He squeezed his eyes shut and bent his body forward so that his head touched the ground. Why couldn't that image just leave him? Why did it insist on replaying over and over, over and over? Her face contorted in disgust, glaring at him accusingly, his hand swinging towards her, the red mark spreading across her cheek like blood spilling across new-fallen snow…the way she stared up at him in shock, in pain. _

_Draco's breaths came raggedly. Why, why had he hit her? He'd been angry, almost angrier than he'd ever been before, but why had he hit her? He loved her; there had been no reason to hit her. If someone else had struck her in such a way, Draco would've made them pay dearly. Was he no better than his own father, who had tortured his wife both physically and mentally? Maybe she had been right, to say he was his father._

No, _he thought, raising his head. No, he wasn't like his father, a voice in his head told him. His father wouldn't feel such anguish over such a thing._

_But his father was certainly a part of him, Draco realized. Why else had he hit Ginny? Why else would he have done such a terrible thing? He'd gone there that night wanting to tell her that he loved her. Now he wondered if he'd ever get to see her again. She must hate him by now. Who could love such a…_

"_Monster," he breathed. He stared at the wall blankly, his anger seething. That's exactly what he was. What other sort of creature would hurt someone like Ginny. To be angry at her was one thing, but to hit her was inexcusable. It was probably just as well that he was leaving in the morning. It'd be better for Ginny. She didn't deserve to be with somebody who would hit her; she deserved to be with somebody who treasured her, like she should be. Maybe someday he'd get the chance to explain to her, but not now. He didn't deserve another chance._

_He didn't deserve her._

"Draco."

"Wake up."

His eyes whipped open to Harry and Ron standing before him. Draco looked around in confusion before he realized that he had fallen asleep against the tree. Carefully, his back cracking in protest, he rose to his feet.

"What is it?"

"Look over there," Harry said with a grin, pointing up the hill, and though Draco had to blink away the raindrops that now fell steadily, he could see an old, boarded up house rising out of the ground, very slowly, but very steadily.

"Well I'll be…" Draco murmured.

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**A/N:** Okay, so a few things going on here...hopefully the next chapter will be a tad bit more interesting. I have to finish planning it out. Reviews are appreciated!

Lauren


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